A DESERT FIGHT
There was too much before them for the party to spend much time in
speculation concerning the professor's sudden disappearance.
Immediately after breakfast Mr. Bell called the boys aside and said:
"How long will it take to get an aeroplane ready?"
The question came briskly, as did all Mr. Bell's speeches.
"I think I can promise to have a machine ready for flight by noon,"
was Roy's rejoinder after a brief interval of thought.
"Good! In that case we will waste no time in getting to work. I am
anxious to reach the mine and stake it out properly for claim filing
purposes. The less delay the better."
It was news to both boys that the definite legal claim to his
discovery had not yet been made by Mr. Bell.
"Well, at any rate you are not likely to be bothered by claim
jumpers away off here," commented Roy.
"No, I hardly think so," was the response, "but in these matters one
cannot be too careful. Since the news spread that I have struck it
rich there are men capable of enduring any hardship if there exists
a possibility of wresting it from me."
"I should have thought that in order to be on the safe side you
would have filed your claim before you came East," put in Peggy, who
had joined the little group of consultants.
"I would have done so were it not for the fact that to have filed my
claim and given the location would have set on my track the entire,
restless gold-seeking horde that hangs about desert towns," said Mr.
Bell, with some warmth. "It is an outrageous thing, but
nevertheless a fact, that the moment one files a claim it becomes
public property. In my opinion the government should protect the
locator of a gold find."
"But would that be quite fair to the others," said Peggy softly.
"Shouldn't everybody have an opportunity to develop natural
resources?"
Mr. Bell gazed at her admiringly.
"You are right, my dear, and I'm a selfish old bear," he said, "but
just the same, not all gold-seekers make desirable neighbors. Many
desperate men are among them."
Peggy's mind wandered back to that midnight conversation she had
overheard on the porch of the National House. But the same dread of
ridicule that she had experienced then still held her, and she
refrained from mentioning it.
By noon, with such good will did they work, that not only was one of
the monoplanes erected and ready for flight, but a second was
partially assembled, and only required the finishing touches to be
in readiness for its aerial dash. While the boys, with the girls
eagerly helping them, worked on the flying machine, Mr. Bell
carefully studied a map he had made of the mine's location, and
tested his compass. This done he--as sailors say--"laid out a
course" for himself. From the springs the mine lay about due
southeast and some hundred and twenty miles away.
In case of accidents the mining man traced carefully a second map,
which was to be left behind in the camp so as to be constantly
available in case anything happened to the first one, it had been
decided that Jimsy, who by this time had become quite a skillful
aviator, was to accompany Mr. Bell in the preliminary flight.
Roy and Mr. Peter Bell were to be left in charge of the camp, and in
the event of the first aeroplane not returning that night the
second, one was to be dispatched in search of it.
As an old plainsman, Mr. Bell had not laid his plans without taking
into consideration the possibility of accident to the aeroplane, and
none realized better than he did what serious consequences such an
accident might have.
In the chassis of the machine with the travelers were placed a stock
of canned goods, a pick and shovel and several hundred feet of fine
but tough rope. A supply of water in stone jars and an extra stock
of gasoline were also taken along. At the conclusion of the noon
meal the motor was started and found to be working perfectly.
Nothing then remained to be done but to bid hasty "au revoirs" and
wing off across the barren wastes.
"If all goes well we may be back to-night," said Mr. Bell as he
slipped into the seat set tandem-wise behind Jimsy.
"And if not?" inquired Roy.
"In that case," and Mr. Bell's voice held a grave note, "in that
case you will take the other monoplane and start out to look for
us."
The roar of the motor as Jimsy started it drowned further words.
Blue smoke and livid flames burst from the exhausts. The structure
of the flying machine shook and quivered under the force of the
explosions. The next instant the first aeroplane to invade the Big
Alkali scudded off across the level floor of the desert, and after
some five hundred feet of land travel soared upward. In fifteen
minutes it was a fast diminishing speck against the burnished blue
of the Nevada sky.
There was some feeling of loneliness in the hearts of those left
behind as they turned back toward the camp under the straggly
willows. But this was speedily dissipated by that sovereign tonic
for such feelings-namely, work. Much was to be done on the
remaining monoplane, and with the exception of brief intervals of
"fooling" the young people spent the rest of the day on finishing
its equipment. Sunset found the machine ready for flight and the
girl aviators and Roy very ready indeed for the supper to which
Peter Bell presently summoned them by loud and insistent beating on
a tin pan.
You may be sure that as the sun dipped lower, the sky toward the
southwest had been frequently swept by expectant eyes, but supper
was served and eaten, and the purple shadows of night began softly
to drape the glaring desert and still there came no sign of the
homing aeroplane.
"Reckon they don't want to risk a night flight and so have decided
to camp at the mine," suggested old Peter Bell in response to Miss
Prescott's rather querulous wondering as to the reason of the
non-return.
"That must be it," agreed Roy easily, demolishing the last of a can
of chicken.
Truth to tell, inwardly he had not expected the travelers back that
night, and perhaps there lingered, too, in his mind, a faint desire
to test out the other aeroplane in a task of rescue, in the event of
the one Jimsy was driving breaking down.
But when morning came without a sign of the missing monoplane
speculation crystallized into a real and keen anxiety. It was
determined to delay no longer but set out at once in search of it.
To this end the recently equipped airship was stocked with food and
water, and shortly before noon Roy finished the final tuning up of
the engine. The others watched him anxiously as he worked. It
seemed clear enough that some real accident must have occurred to
the other machine.
"James would never keep us in suspense like this," said Mr. Bell,
"if he could reach us and relieve our anxiety."
Roy was just about to clamber into the chassis when Peggy and Jess,
who had been missing for several minutes, emerged from their tent.
Each girl wore an aviation hood and stout leather gauntlets.
Plainly they were dressed for aerial flight. Roy gazed at them
quizzically.
"I hate to disappoint you girls," he said, "but I've got to play a
lone hand in this thing."
"No such thing," said Peggy in her briskest tones; "what if anything
happened to you? Who would run the machine if we weren't along?"
"That's quite true, Roy," struck in Jess, "and besides if--if
anything has gone wrong with Jimsy who has a better right to be near
him than I?"
Roy looked perplexed.
"What am I to do, Aunt Sally?" he appealed, turning to Miss
Prescott.
To Peggy's astonishment, as much as anyone else's, Miss Prescott did
not veto their going.
"I think it would be great folly for you to go on an expedition of
this kind alone," she said, addressing Roy. "As Peggy says, if
anything went wrong what could you do alone?"
"Oh, aunt, you're a dear!" cried Peggy, giving the kindly old lady a
bear hug.
"But I make one condition," continued Miss Prescott, "and that is,
that whatever you find, you do not delay, but report back here as
soon as possible. I could not bear much more anxiety."
This was readily promised, and ten minutes later the three young
aviators were in the chassis of the big monoplane. After a moment's
fiddling with levers and adjustments Roy started the motor. Heavily
laden as it was the staunch aeroplane shot upward steadily after a
short run. As it grew rapidly smaller, and finally became a mere
black shoe button in the distance, Miss Prescott turned to old Peter
Bell with a sigh.
"Heaven grant they all come back safe and sound," she exclaimed.
"Amen to that, ma'am," was the response, and then unconsciously
lapsing into his rhythmical way of expressing himself, the old man
added: "Though flying through the air so high they'll come back
safely by and by."
And then, while old Peter shuffled off to water the stock, Miss
Prescott fell to continuing her fancy work which the good lady had
brought with her from the Fast. An odd picture she made, sitting
there in that dreary grove in the desert, with her New England
suggestion of primness and house-wifely qualities showing in
striking contrast to the strange setting of the rest of the picture.