Wrecked
With her nose headed north, the Red Cloud swung along through the air.
Those on board were thinking of many things, but chief among them was
the unjust accusation that had been made against them, by an
irresponsible boy--the red-haired Andy Foger. They read the account in
the paper again, seeking to learn from it new things at each perusal.
"It's just a lot of circumstantial evidence that's what it is," said
Tom. "I admit it might look suspicious to anyone who didn't know us,
but Andy Foger has certainly done the most mischief by his conclusions.
Burglar tools! The idea!"
"I think I shall sue the bank for damages," declared Mr. Damon. "They
have injured my reputation by making this accusation against me.
Anyhow, I'll certainly never do any more business with them, and I'll
withdraw my ten thousand dollars deposit, as soon as we get back."
"Mr. Sharp doesn't seem to be accused of doing anything at all,"
remarked Tom, reading the article for perhaps the tenth time.
"Oh, I guess I'm a sort of general all-around bad man, who helped you
burglars to escape with the booty," answered the balloonist, with a
laugh. "I expect to be arrested along with you two."
"But must we be arrested?" inquired Tom anxiously. "I don't like that
idea at all. We haven't done anything."
"This is my plan," went on Mr. Sharp. "We'll get back to Shopton as
quickly as we can. We'll arrive at night, so no one will see us, and,
leaving the airship in some secluded spot, we'll go to the police and
explain matters. We can easily prove that we had nothing to do with the
robbery. Why we were all home the night it happened! Mr. Swift, Mr.
Jackson and Mrs. Baggert can testify to that."
"Yes," agreed Mr. Damon. "I guess they can. Bless my bank book, but
that seems a good plan. We'll follow it."
Proceeding on the plan which they had decided was the best one, the Red
Cloud was sent high into the air. So high up was it that, at times it
was above the clouds. Though this caused some little discomfort at
first, especially to Mr. Damon, he soon became used to it, as did the
others. And it had the advantage of concealing them from the persons
below who might be on the lookout.
"For we don't want to be shot at again," explained Mr. Sharp. "It isn't
altogether healthy, and not very safe. If we keep high up they can't
see us; much less shoot at us. They'll take us for some big bird. Then,
too, we can go faster."
"I suppose there will be another alarm sent out, from those negroes
having sighted us," ventured Tom.
"Oh, yes, but those colored fellows were so excited they may describe
us as having horns, hoofs and a tail, and their story may not be
believed. I'm not worrying about them. My chief concern is to drive the
Red Cloud for all she is worth. I want to explain some things back
there in Shopton."
As if repenting of the way it had misbehaved over the forest fire, the
airship was now swinging along at a rapid rate. Seated in the cabin the
travelers would have really enjoyed the return trip had it not been for
the accusation hanging over them. The weather was fine and clear, and
as they skimmed along, now and then coming out from the clouds, they
caught glimpses below them of the earth above which they were
traveling. They had a general idea of their location, from knowing the
town where the paper had given them such astounding news, and it was
easy to calculate their rate of progress.
After running about a hundred miles or so, at high speed Mr. Sharp
found it necessary to slow down the motor, as some of the new bearings
were heating. Still this gave them no alarm, as they were making good
time. They came to a stop that night, and calculated that by the next
evening, or two at the latest, they would be back in Shopton. But they
did not calculate on an accident.
One of the cylinders on the big motor cracked, as they started up next
morning, and for some hours they had to hang in the air, suspended by
the gas in the container, while Mr. Sharp and Tom took out the damaged
part, and put in a spare one, the cylinders being cast separately. It
was dusk when they finished, and too late to start up, so they remained
about in the same place until the next day.
Morning dawned with a hot humidness, unusual at that time of the year,
but partly accounted for by the fact that they were still within the
influence of the southern climate. With a whizz the big propellers were
set in motion, and, with Tom at the wheel, the ship being about three
miles in the air, to which height it had risen after the repairs were
made, the journey was recommenced.
"It's cooler up here than down below," remarked Tom, as he shifted the
wheel and rudder a bit, in response to a gust of wind, that heeled the
craft over.
"Yes, I think we're going to have a storm," remarked Mr. Sharp, eyeing
the clouds with a professional air. "We may run ahead of it, or right
into it. We'll go down a bit, toward night, when there's less danger of
being shot."
So far, on their return trip, they had not been low enough, in the day
time, to be in any danger from persons who hoped to earn the five
thousand dollars reward.
The afternoon passed quickly, and it got dark early. There was a
curious hum to the wind, and, hearing it, Mr. Sharp began to go about
the ship, seeing that everything was fast and taut.
"We're going to have a blow," he remarked, "and a heavy one, too.
We'll have to make everything snug, and be ready to go up or down, as
the case calls for."
"Up or down?" inquired Mr. Damon.
"Yes. By rising we may escape the blow, or, by going below the strata
of agitated air, we may escape it."
"How about rain?"
"Well, you can get above rain, but you can't get below it, with the law
of gravitation working as it does at present. How's the gas generator,
Tom?"
"Seems to be all right," replied the young inventor, who had
relinquished the wheel to the balloonist.
They ate an early supper, and, hardly had the dishes been put away,
when from the west, where there was a low-flying bank of clouds, there
came a mutter of thunder. A little later there was a dull, red
illumination amid the rolling masses of vapor.
"There's the storm, and she's heading right this way," commented Mr.
Sharp.
"Can't you avoid it?" asked Mr. Damon, anxiously.
"I could, if I knew how high it was, but I guess we'll wait and see how
it looks as we get closer."
The airship was flying on, and the storm, driven by a mighty wind, was
rushing to meet it. Already there was a sighing, moaning sound in the
wire and wooden braces of the Red Cloud.
Suddenly there came such a blast that it heeled the ship over on her
side.
"Shift the equilibrium rudders!" shouted Mr. Sharp to Tom, turning the
wheel and various levers over to the lad. "I'm going to get more speed
out of the motor!"
Tom acted just in time, and, after bobbing about like a cork on the
water, the ship was righted, and sent forging ahead, under the
influence of the propellers worked at top speed. Nor was this any too
much, for it needed all the power of the big engine to even partially
overcome the force of the wind that was blowing right against the Red
Cloud. Of course they might have turned and flown before it, but they
wanted to go north, not south--they wanted to face their accusers.
Then, after the first fury of the blast had spent itself, there came a
deluge of rain, following a dazzling glare of lightning and a bursting
crash of thunder.
In spite of the gale buffeting her, the airship was making good
progress. The skill of Tom and the balloonist was never shown to better
advantage. All around them the storm raged, but through it the craft
kept on her way. Nothing could be seen but pelting sheets of water and
swirling mist, yet onward the ship was driven.
The thunder was deafening, and the lightning nearly blinded them, until
the electrics were switched on, flooding the cabin with radiance.
Inside the car they were snug and dry, though the pitching of the craft
was like that of a big liner in the trough of the ocean waves.
"Will she weather it, do you think?" called Mr. Damon, in the ear of
Mr. Sharp, shouting so as to be heard above the noise of the elements,
and the hum of the motor.
The balloonist nodded.
"She's a good ship," he answered proudly.
Hardly had he spoken when there came a crash louder than any that had
preceded, and the flash of rosy light that accompanied it seemed to set
the whole heavens on fire. At the same time there was violent shock to
the ship.
"We're hit! Struck by lightning!" yelled Tom.
"We're falling!" cried Mr. Damon an instant later.
Mr. Sharp looked at the elevation gauge. The hand was slowly swinging
around. Down, down dropped the Red Cloud. She was being roughly treated
by the storm.
"I'm afraid we're wrecked!" said the balloonist in a low voice,
scarcely audible above the roar of the tempest. Following the great
crash had come a comparatively light bombardment from the sky artillery.
"Use the gliding rudder, Tom," called Mr. Sharp, a moment later. "We
may fall, but we'll land as easily as possible."
The wind, the rain, the lightning and thunder continued. Down, down
sank the ship. Its fall was somewhat checked by the rudder Tom swung
into place, and by setting the planes at a different angle. The motor
had been stopped, and the propellers no longer revolved. In the
confusion and darkness it was not safe to run ahead, with the danger of
colliding with unseen objects on the earth.
They tried to peer from the windows, but could see nothing. A moment
later, as they stared at each other with fear in their eyes, there came
a shock. The ship trembled from end to end.
"We've landed!" cried Tom, as he yanked back on the levers. The airship
came to a stop.
"Now to see where we are," said Mr. Sharp grimly, "and how badly we are
wrecked."