WE INSPECT A NOVEL AERIAL INVENTION
“You must understand,” said the lieutenant, “that from the moment I
decided to undertake this adventure I began preparing my ‘sinews of
war’. I calculated that an isolated people like the Tcha would be
greatly impressed by our wonderful modern inventions. Also I figured
that many things might be collected by me which would assist in the
difficult task of penetrating a hostile territory and climbing the
almost inaccessible mountains leading to the hidden city. Fortunately I
was stationed last summer for more than a month at Washington, where I
confided my plans to my uncle, Simeon Wells, and had many long
conversations with him as to a proper equipment for this difficult
undertaking. His cleverness in electrical matters was of great
assistance to me, for his famous storage battery, combining tremendous
power with light weight, will enable me to carry some important devices
into the very heart of the wilderness. Also my uncle knew of several
recent inventions of which I was myself ignorant, and through his
influence I managed to secure them. Here, for instance, is an important
example.”
With this he took from a chest a curious contrivance that seemed to us
like a cross between a rubber air-cushion and an undershirt. As Allerton
explained the thing, it was to be worn by pulling it on over the head
and allowing it to loosely cover the body from the neck down to the
thighs. It was composed of two layers of thin, ribbon-like tissue, and
could be inflated like a balloon.
“This strap,” explained Allerton, “is for attaching to your left side a
small metal case—here is one—containing the crystals of themlyne. By
pouring a little water upon the crystals, through the valve, a very
volatile but powerful gas is created, called ‘theml,’ which inflates the
garment. Chaka will put one on, so you may see exactly how it works.”
The Maya immediately complied, slipping the rubber arrangement over his
head and putting his arms through the holes provided for that purpose.
He then attached the metal case, which I think was aluminum, and
supplied the themlyne crystals with water. At once the gas began rushing
into the queer garment, which became inflated until Chaka’s upper half
was puffed out in a ludicrous manner. He turned off the gas, then, and
cast an inquiring glance at Allerton.
“Instead of weighing some one hundred and eighty pounds, as he did a
while ago,” announced the lieutenant, “Chaka is now but little heavier
than air itself.”
To verify this the Maya leaped lightly to the cabin table, bounding back
to the floor again with the resilience of a rubber ball.
“In climbing mountains,” explained Allerton, “as well as in descending
precipices and the like, this inflated garment will prove invaluable. It
is not made of rubber, as perhaps you imagine, but of a new and
wonderful material as tough as steel, and as impenetrable. It is a
recent scientific discovery to be used in making unpuncturable
automobile tires, and I am the first person who has ever adapted it to
any other purpose. The gas-jacket, as I call it, was suggested by Uncle
Simeon, and I immediately appreciated its value. There are ten of them
in this chest, each fitted with a themlyne tank for inflating it. Now I
will demonstrate its most important use. If Chaka lets a little more gas
into the jacket it will carry him off his feet.”
Chaka did this, slowly rising like a balloon to the ceiling of the
cabin, but remaining upright because his legs anchored him in a
perpendicular position. He now touched a valve which released a certain
portion of the gas and enabled him to descend again to the floor.
“As the jacket is ordinarily worn,” said Allerton, “the idea is to
retain enough weight in your body to enable you to control all your
motions, at the same time reducing your weight to the extent of
preventing fatigue. I could leap over a precipice in that jacket and
alight at the bottom uninjured. If I wished to escape an enemy, I could
soar into the air, out of reach.”
He took out his pocket knife and asked me to slash or prick the
gas-jacket which Chaka was wearing; but the material resisted all my
attempts.
“I doubt,” remarked Allerton, “if a bullet at close range would
penetrate it; I have never tried the experiment, but where we are going
there are no bullets used by the natives.”
We were all filled with wonder at this curious contrivance.
“How much gas will that little case of crystals generate?” I asked.
“Enough to inflate the jacket a half dozen times,” he replied. “But I
have an ample supply of themlyne crystals in another chest, to replenish
the cases when necessary.”
“Won’t any other gas do?” inquired Archie.
“Not so well. And no other gas can be procured so quickly and easily as
themlyne.”
“Of course, when the stuff is gone the jackets are useless,” suggested
Joe.
“Yes; but we do not expect to use much gas except in case of emergency.
At such times we are sure to find the jackets very useful. There is an
appliance I myself have invented to attach to the fully inflated
garments, which will render them equal to aeroplanes, and much more
reliable and safe,” continued Allerton.
He motioned to Chaka, who took from the chest two objects that resembled
closed Japanese fans, which the native first buckled to either side of
his gas-jacket and then thrust his arms through a series of catgut
loops. Allerton had to assist him in this, as the bulky jacket kept
Chaka from using his hands to good advantage. When all was ready, the
Maya raised his arms and showed himself possessed of wings. As his arms
hung down by his sides the wings remained closed; as he raised them the
fans unfolded. They were made of a material similar to that of the
jacket.
“We have not had much opportunity to experiment with these wings,”
admitted the lieutenant. “They may prove awkward, at first, and perhaps
unaided would not carry one far into the air. But when one has ascended
to an altitude by means of the inflated jacket the wings should enable
him to direct his course, and to soar with the wind, or tack as a ship
does, for long distances.”
“I can’t see much practical use in all these fixin’s,” remarked Uncle
Naboth. “Seems to me you ain’t goin’ to Yucatan to do circus acts or to
knock out the Wright brother, but jest to fight a lot o’ Injuns an’ grab
some gold an’ things. Could you carry much of a load through the air in
them jackets?”
“I fear not,” admitted Allerton, gravely. “As I before stated, one of my
ideas is to impress the natives with the wonders of our modern
civilization.”
“Well, it orter do that, all right. It’s impressed me,” said Uncle
Naboth.