with all these mountains to get lost in. A score of pilots might spend
every single day for a whole year in winging around the neighborhood of
the Colorado Canyon and never once glimpse the smashed crate, even if it
was in some open stretch of ground."
"Which I take it covers the case okay," agreed Perk. "On 'count o' them
big holes in the ground together with the tricky cross currents o' wind,
air pockets an' all such sneaky things every airman hates with all his
heart, we have to keep up some high an' even through the glass, small
objects like the wings o' a smashed crate are bound to look like pin
points."
"When your eyes tire of searching," remarked the considerate pilot,
"give me the word and I'll change places with you, partner."
"Sure thing old hoss--I don't aim to hog _all_ the fun," Perk quickly
observed and kept staring this way and that in an honest endeavor to
cover the entire ground as thoroughly as possible.
From time to time he would break loose to tell of some abnormal freak of
nature that he had discovered. To all these sallies Jack made no reply
for he himself was thinking deeply and trying to map out a consistent
method of conducting the search on which they were now fully launched.
The Government, conscious of the duty devolving on the post office
department to show natural concern for the lives of its faithful
employees, had seen fit to detach Jack and Perk from all other duties
and order them to exert themselves to the utmost in an effort to find
the missing pilot. Aside from the glory that would fall to those who won
out, Jack felt very keenly for the old mother of Buddy Warner, doubtless
passing sleepless nights while the mystery of her boy remained an
unsolved problem.
XII
IN THE COLORADO CANYON COUNTRY
Ever since hopping off at Cheyenne their course had been more or less
directly southwest, for Jack, on consulting his chart, had figured that
this would take them close to their intended goal.
Only in a general way was he able to decide as to where they must be on
this morning after their long flight through that enormous fog belt.
Strange as it might seem, thus far they had glimpsed nothing positive
that would give them their exact location, but just the same Jack was so
certain about his figuring, knowing what distance they had covered since
the start, that he did not concern himself greatly over this question.
In good time something would come along to clear things up nicely, and
once they got their bearings if would be possible to pick up the game
with heart and soul enlisted in its carrying out.
"Now would you b'lieve it partner," Perk was saying at one time much
later in the morning, with the same wilderness covering the face of the
earth far below as wide as eye could reach, "if there ain't one o' them
pirates o' the air spreadin' himself to try an' cut across our path,
like he wanted to take a close-up o' sech a queer contraption that keeps
on makin' all them roarin' noises. I call him a feathered hijacker,
'cause he lies in wait tryin' to hold up industrious fish-hawks when
they been an' grabbed a dinner outen the river, an' robbin' 'em o' it."
"Oh! I reckon now you're meaning an eagle, eh Perk?"
"Old Baldhead, the great American fraud that Uncle Sam keeps stampin' on
his coins. A loafer an' a shark, too lazy to do his own huntin' an'
stealin' his grub from the hard workin' osprey. See him cuttin' it for
all he's worth, tryin' to butt in on us! Hey, mebbe the ornery fool's
got a big notion we're tryin' to put the laugh on him, an' means to give
us the defy--a fool notion, I'd call it. Let him try hittin' up against
the side o' our fuselage an' see what happens to _him_, that's all."
Jack evinced sudden interest, as was proven by his saying sharply:
"But see here that may not be all, as you think! What if the fool bird
plunges madly at our ship? Instead of butting his head against the
fuselage he might strike our propeller, which would knock him
galley-west, but also disable our craft. Perk, better get out that
sub-machine gun of yours and be ready to settle his hash if it seems
likely he can head us off."
"Hot ziggetty dog! I never though o' _that_, partner!" cried the now
thoroughly alarmed Perk hastening to scramble out of his seat, dive back
and drag out the firearm with which he had done such gallant service not
so long ago.
"Watch the rascal," Jack was telling him in steadying tones, "and if it
looks as though he'll reach us, start gunning for him, otherwise hold
your fire out of respect for the motto on our gold coins. Sit pretty,
partner--I'm depending on you to do a good job."
Jack changed his course a trifle, as if intending to give the charging
bird a chance to live to another day. In this way the chase was made
more stern and the possibility of a fatal contact between bird and the
man-made king of the upper air rendered less likely.
Perk, crouching there with ready gun, held himself prepared to pour out
a hot fusilade if it became absolutely necessary. He had to judge the
velocity of the eagle's advance and also note how Jack was so skillfully
edging away to the left in order to avoid slaughtering the brave but
misguided bird.
After all it was a false alarm, for the eagle shot past at least twenty
feet back of their rudder, going "for all he was worth" as Perk
afterwards explained it and by the time he could swerve, the plane was
so far away that the baffled bird felt compelled to give up the pursuit,
though doing so grudgingly, Perk decided.
He hardly knew whether to be inclined to jeer at the foolish actions of
the king of the air, or give him a cheer on account of so brashly
charging the great bulk that he must have considered a rival in his
special field. At least there was no need of making use of the gun which
he hastened to put back in its former nook where it could easily be
snatched up in case of any sudden emergency.
"Mebbe it's jest as well I didn't have to riddle the old jay," Perk told
himself as he resumed his seat and his glasses. "May be a buccaneer,
like some folks say, but he's got good grit and won't take a dare from
even a Zeppelin, should one come sailin' along in his happy huntin'
grounds."
The morning was wearing away with the amphibian keeping up its merry
pace and the country showing no signs of betterment. Civilization was a
million miles distant, one would imagine, when looking down on those
amazing masses of rocky peaks over which they were winging their way.
Judging from what they saw hour after hour, Jack could well believe that
changes there had been only to a small degree since Columbus first
sighted these shores hundreds of years back. Indeed, for thousands upon
thousands of years those giant fingers of rock had been pointing to the
blue sky above, just as they saw them now.
They ate some food about noon, washing it down with a few gulps of water
they carried in a jug. Strange that even Perk had not remarked upon
being hungry, which was such a remarkable thing for him that Jack
concluded his mind for once had been taken off the subject of eating and
was fully occupied with the strange mission upon which they were
engaged.
Several times Jack asked the observer whether he could make out any
signs of a river bed ahead and seemed surprised and a bit disappointed
when Perk replied in the negative.
"Unless I'm away off my base," Jack finally told his companion, "we
ought to be somewhere in the vicinity of the Colorado and the enormous
canyon through which it makes its way down to the Gulf of California."
Perk displayed a sudden fresh interest in matters.
"I swan, partner," he remarked in considerable agitation, "does that
'ere mean we might set eyes on that monster hole in the ground I've read
so much about? Are we close to the Colorado River where she runs 'long
through the Rainbow gorge and the towerin' cliffs rear their red, blue,
green and yeller walls hundreds o' feet high on both sides?"
"You said it Perk. Chances are we'll set eyes on that big hole in the
ground they call the Colorado Canyon before we strike another night."
"Je-ru-salem crickets buddy! That sounds good to me!" exulted Perk,
visibly stirred by the thrilling information. "Allers did sorter hanker
'bout lampin' that pictur', an' it'll please me plenty if dreams do come
true."
This kept him quiet for some time, though he worked his glasses with a
fresher zeal as though bent on missing nothing that seemed worth looking
at. But thus far not the slightest object had been sighted that might
turn out to be of special interest to any one looking for a smashed
plane.
The sun was now well down the western heavens and Perk was beginning to
fear the prophecy of his companion would fail to come true, when
something caught his vigilant eye far in the distance and on which he
focussed his binoculars. He looked long and steadily before announcing
his discovery to Jack.
"I kinder guess partner, we're there all right," he finally burst out.
"And what makes you feel that way, Perk?"
"From the signs ahead I figger we're gettin' close to a big sink and I
c'n see the sun glintin' from somethin' shiny yonder--might be that
hotel they got on the top o' the west wall, if I remember straight.
Yes-siree, it's jest like I'm tellin' you matey, the old river must lie
down in that deep canyon. Gee whiz! it makes me near goofy jest to think
how I'm goin' to see the biggest canyon in the whole world, with painted
walls an' all sorts o' queer relics o' ancient Injuns scattered around.
Hot ziggetty dog! ain't I glad they sent us out this way though! If on'y
we c'n find that boy, I'll be the happiest chap on earth, an' that's no
lie either."
That was Perk's usual way of arriving at a decision without making
certain. Jack on the other hand, was accustomed to holding himself in
check until he had actually proven it a certainty and even then he
rarely gave way to any outburst of joy, leaving that to his more
excitable comrade.
In due time they found themselves looking down on one of the most
wonderful sights that can be found anywhere in the wide world. A
spectacle unmatched in any other land which people come thousands of
miles to feast their enraptured eyes upon.
XIII
A STRANDED PLANE
Jack continued to stay at the controls, possibly because he wished Perk
to do the observing as his keen eyesight was such a valuable asset.
It proved that the object Perk had seen, and on which the sun was
shining in such a dazzling way, was the hotel that catered to the many
visitors and tourists who at certain seasons of the year flocked
thither, enjoying the thrill of gazing on those natural wonders so
profuse in that locality.
Perk could readily make out a number of moving figures on the edge of
the canyon, evidently intent on watching the coming of the airship and
doubtless speculating as to its mission.
Undoubtedly other boats had been seen flying overhead, since that
particular section of country was being combed by a host of swift craft
gathered from various quarters, all engaged in the humane task of
striving to find the missing air mail pilot.
But Jack gave no evidence of a desire to drop down in the vicinity of
the great hotel with its throng of guests--they could give him no
information and the time could be more profitably used in commencing a
systematic search. It would be time to descend when their stock of
supplies in the line of food fell short or the gas tank gave promise of
becoming empty. Nothing less must distract them from the task they had
been commissioned to carry out with all their ability.
"I c'n see people comin' up out o' the canyon now," Perk asserted with
emphasis, "an' seems like they must be mounted on mules or donkeys,
'cause no hosses c'n climb up an' down sech steep slopes. Say, ain't
that worth comin' out here to see? I'll tell the world it sure is!
Mebbe, 'fore we starts back to old Cheyenne, we'll get a chance to go
down into the bowels o' the earth like them folks have been doin', an'
seein' the hull panorama from the bottom."
"Who knows, Perk?" quoth the unmoved Jack, "but in the meantime we've
got to stick on our job and do our level best to find Buddy--because of
his mourning mother if for no other reason--and that goes!"
"I like to hear you say that, partner," cried sympathetic Perk, "an' me
to back it up to the limit. My eyes! what a peach o' a pictur' that sure
is! Somethin' never to be rubbed out while you live. Beats anything I
ever set eyes on by big odds. Niagara was fine enough, but say, it ain't
in the same class as this paintin' o' Old Dame Nature's."
"I'd call it sublime, and let it go at that," Jack admitted, "for words
never were coined that could do justice to such a tremendous thing in
the way of natural scenery."
The hotel was now in their rear and rapidly growing fainter in the
distance, while below lay the wide reaches of the enormous canyon, dug
through uncounted ages by the swift current of the famous river that
miles further on would disappear from sight between walls that reared
their heads hundreds of feet aloft.
As if to give them both a comprehensive view of the entire opening, Jack
had reduced their speed to a minimum and was following the canyon gap
with Perk keeping his eyes glued to his glasses, unable to tear them
away for a single second lest he lose something of absorbing interest,
possibly the most entrancing object in all that long category.
So it was that Jack felt a shock when he suddenly heard Perk giving
tongue as though gripped with some fresh cause for excitement.
"Hey! what's this I'm seein' partner?" he yelled.
"Whereabouts?" demanded the other in a flash, for there was something he
could detect in Perk's squeal that would indicate a discovery of more
than usual importance.
"Right down in the ditch--look ahead, an' you'll see it! Boy, if that
ain't a airship lyin' on the sandy shore o' the river, I'll eat my hat!
An' yes, by gum! there's a man standin' alongside wavin' somethin' white
like a flag o' distress! Oh my stars, c'n it be possible we've run on to
poor Buddy Warner so clost to help an' him stuck there like a pig in a
poke all this while? Jack, whatever c'n it mean, do you reckon?"
Jack was rather startled by what his comrade was saying, but as always
proved himself quick to act.
"Take over the stick Perk, and give me the glasses. I must see for
myself what it means. A plane down in that big hole, close to the edge
of the rushing river and only a mile or so from help--it seems
incredible--why, as I understand from what I've heard and read, parties
with their guides often spend a night in the canyon looking through
those queer Indian stone houses and even wander along the river for some
distance. Why, he never could be that close by all this time and his
condition continue unknown."
He was riveting his gaze upon the spot Perk had pointed to, and just as
the other had declared, some one was making frantic gestures, waving a
piece of white cloth and plainly asking them to drop down and rescue him
or at least convey a knowledge of his desperate situation to those at
the hotel.
The more Jack stared the greater did the mystery become in his mind. It
simply could not be--there must be some other explanation to account for
so unreasonable a condition. What should they do about it? The man kept
waving his distress signal, and possibly was at the same time shouting
something, to judge from his actions although of course his voice failed
utterly to reach their ears.
"What's goin' to be done about it, eh partner?" Perk was saying as he
swung in a great curve and again started to pass over the object of
Jack's scrutiny and bewilderment. "Do we leave him there, after comin'
so far to help the poor lad? Ain't there a way for us to slant down an'
drop on that sandy shore his boat's restin' on? Bet every red cent I got
it c'n be done, brother an' you're the boy to tackle the ticklish job."
"Make still another circuit, Perk," said Jack earnestly from which his
companion judged he must be even then considering in his mind whether
the proposed scheme were feasible or not.
"He keeps right along signalin' to us not to desert him, Jack. Mebbe now
ours ain't the first ship to come sailin' along an' the others gave up
any idea o' landin' in the ditch, so he's getting a bit desperate--an'
hungry as all get out in the bargain. Must a'been three days since he
was reported missin' you remember, partner."
Jack apparently was not wholly convinced. It might not be so difficult a
task to drop down successfully, but being able to come up again would be
a horse of another color, he figured. Then all at once he made his
decision.
"We'll go, Perk--the stick if you please and stand by to lend a hand if
it's needed when we make contact. I can see what looks like an inviting
place in the water where we can use those dandy pontoons to advantage.
Ready for it?"
They swung around once more and this time Jack turned the nose of his
craft directly at a slant so as to head for the spot where the pilot of
the wrecked ship was running up and down in great excitement, still
flinging his signal of distress back and forth.
But when he saw that they were actually starting to drop below the
majestic walls of the wonderful canyon as though bent on endeavoring to
assist him, he stopped short and stood there wringing his hands in what
to Jack was a rather peculiar way for a brave man to do. Still, if he
had been through a series of hard knocks, had perhaps even been
seriously wounded in the crash of his boat, he might be close to
distraction. Anyway theirs must be the job of ascertaining the truth and
afterwards doing all they could to afford him relief, though his plane
might be beyond remedy and would have to be abandoned.
Now they were approaching the bottom of that rocky canyon--the walls
towered above like grim cliffs or battlements, forged by nature to
protect the stream that swept through the enormous gorge. It seemed to
Perk, as he shot one thrilling look upward, as though they were a mile
high and that everything around them was mightily magnified--all save
the river itself, together with the stranded ship and the figure
standing there watching their coming so eagerly, so filled with freshly
risen hope.
Then contact was made between their wonderful pontoons and the surface
of the Colorado River and there they floated on the turbulent bosom of
the stream.
XIV
JACK MAKES A DISCOVERY
While thus dropping down into the great wide canyon by easy stages, Jack
had taken note of several things, although not for a single second
failing to keep tabs on his dials and the action of the ship when
meeting certain baffling currents of air welling up from the depths and
which might have played havoc with things only for this watchful,
never-ceasing care on his part.
First he became aware of the fact that the abyss was no longer subject
to clear visibility--in fact, it would have been next to impossible for
him to have made a decent contact with the river surface only that a
sudden glow had started up as if by magic.
It was a fire that helped to dissipate the gathering gloom in that
particular spot and the one responsible for this welcome illumination
must be the unknown aviator whose crate had been wrecked when falling
into the vast sink with the gorgeously painted walls.
Evidently he must have gathered a few piles of dry driftwood so
plentifully scattered along the banks of the river, and prepared a pyre
to which a lighted match could be applied, a cheery blaze following.
Jack sensed all this even without distracting his attention from his
work.
At least this seemed to be proof that the unfortunate pilot had kept his
wits about him, no matter what dire happenings might have come his way.
The sun could not have set--of that Jack felt certain--so the sudden
lack of daylight in the vicinity of that deeply imbedded river must have
been caused by the passing of some heavy cloud over the face of the sun.
Jack even remembered noticing a bank of clouds hanging close to the
southwestern horizon for the last half hour and a favoring breeze coming
up must have pushed them across, so as to form a lofty but effectual
screen.
No matter--nothing counted as long as the ship rested happily on the
water with Perk hastening to drop overboard a small but efficient
anchor, such as would be apt to take up scant room aboard an amphibian,
but prove invaluable on occasions like the present.
This was only a part of Perk's duties, however--when thus anchored the
ship swung to and fro on its reliable pontoons but they were fully
twenty feet distant from the sandy stretch beyond the river's edge.
The current was anything but friendly and there was a strong possibility
that the depth between the beach and the anchored boat would prove to be
several feet, with perhaps pockets twice that, to judge from the way the
water swirled in eddies.
But all that had been considered when equipping the amphibian for
service on land or water. Of what avail would it be to have the pontoons
so handy if, after coming down on some body of water, they must wade or
swim in order to make a landing?
Perk was engaged in taking vast breaths into his capacious lungs and
then blowing into some sort of queer rubber contraption which, expanding
rapidly, presently assumed the proportions of a squatty little
boat--nothing to boast of so far as appearances went, but capable, when
fully blown up, of ferrying himself and his companion over the few yards
of open water lying between themselves and their coveted landing place.
Without just such an auxiliary, the usefulness of a land and water
aircraft must be considerably cut down, as pilots have long since
ascertained from actual experience. Just as had been the case of the
folding anchor that, with the rubber boat took very little room until
needed, it paid big dividends in comparison with the small amount of
trouble it gave.
The castaway air pilot was standing near by watching everything they did
with the utmost eagerness. Thus far he had not seen fit to call out, but
his manner proved the intense interest he felt.
Jack waved his hand encouragingly to the other, even while Perk was
launching the clumsy rubber boat which proved to be so buoyant that it
kept bobbing up and down with each movement of the speeding, gurgling
current.
The fire was now burning brightly so that the whole immediate vicinity
seemed lighted up. Jack involuntarily cast an inquisitive eye in the
direction where the stranded ship lay with one wing dipping in the
river. So familiar had long acquaintance with the various models of
flying boats made Jack, that as a rule it required only a single glance
to tell him the make of any ship he was seeing for the first time.
"A single-seat open-cockpit Stinson-Detroiter, if I know my onions," he
was telling himself, "and I'll be hanged if I ever did know of the mail
being carried in these days aboard one of those older types of craft.
Looks like it had been used more or less in the bargain. I understood,
somehow or other, that Buddy Warner was using a cabin ship--but he might
have changed over to this for some reason."
Still this fact was perhaps the entering wedge that started a dim
suspicion in Jack's mind so that after entering the small boat and
having Perk wield the dumpy paddle, he eyed the waiting figure of the
wrecked pilot as if making some sort of decision.
Just then Perk gave one of his queer grunts and in a husky whisper that
barely reached the ears of his chum went on to say:
"Jack, would you b'lieve me, that there ain't our Buddy a'tall--never
did set eyes on this here youngster, for a fact. Hot ziggetty dog! now
ain't that the rottenest luck ever?"
Jack made no reply, but Perk's discovery only justified the suspicion
that had been forming in his own mind. Then they had had their drop into
the canyon all for naught--at least so far as the discovery of the
missing air-mail pilot was concerned.
True, the other was in something of a predicament, but he did not seem
to be seriously injured and when another day dawned his need of
assistance would surely be discovered by those connected with the big
hotel, so that after all his troubles were only for a brief while.
Still, they had made the swoop and being on hand it would hardly seem
decent and courteous for them to hold back, when possibly they could be
of more or less help.