The big ship was poised in mid-air over the Palisades of the Hudson,
near New York City. Presently the old man lowered the machine so close
to Earth that Harold and the Prince descended a rope ladder and landed
in order that they might get some newspapers and discover what was being
said about the air-ship, which had evidently been seen at different
places all the way from California to the East. They were likewise
charged with several commissions from the girls, not the least being one
to bring them candy for, as they said, “they were dying for some of
Huyler’s best.”
At about sundown the boys returned, having made good time to and from
the city. Their arms and pockets were loaded with boxes and packages of
various sizes, for they had purchased candy, peanuts, gum, papers,
magazines, and last but not least a dress for each of the girls which
they knew would be needed if they decided to land anywhere. Those they
already had were badly out of style and, sad as it may seem, I shall
have to tell you that their magic robes would not work below the
air-shed line in the Earth’s atmosphere.
As the boys were unloading their arms and emptying their pockets, the
girls stood close beside them listening to the doings of the day and
eating peanuts and candy between questions.
“Well! I will tell you the things that impressed me most forcibly were
the dirt and the smoky atmosphere and, what was scarcely less
disagreeable, the unmannerly people in the slow-moving crowds. I
constantly wished for my magic robe that I might escape from the
clanging bells, rumbling wheels, and pushing crowds. It was positively
deafening after enjoying the quiet and peace of the skies, and
suffocating too, with its smoke-laden atmosphere. How so many people can
live in a city from choice, I cannot imagine. I always disliked noise
and dirt but now after our recent experiences in the heavens, it will be
unendurable.”
While they had been talking, the old man had quietly steered the ship
over New York harbor and now he and Mercury were watching a large white
object that was sailing directly beneath them.
“Look over the side,” said Mercury. “See what a beautiful sight the
harbor presents with all its ocean-liners and ferry boats moving to and
fro in the moonlight with their many-colored lanterns. That fast ocean
greyhound is especially majestic and has just entered the harbor with
its hundreds of passengers from foreign shores.”
The old man lowered the ship so that they could distinguish voices on
the steamer beneath them and could see by the rays thrown from the
search-light the frightened faces of the passengers. As the steamer
passed on to her dock the air-ship slowly ascended until she was lost to
sight in the clear night sky.
While they were speeding on their way to Europe, Harold took out the
papers he had bought, and seating himself beside a shaded reading lamp
commenced to read aloud what was being said about their air-ship. One
paper had in red head lines:
“Our neighbors from Mars have at last materialized, but either from
fright or some unknown reason have failed to land or in any way
communicate with us, so that we are none the wiser for their visit.”
Another read, “A wonderful phenomenon has been observed at many points
in the West. First at San Francisco, then, within twenty-four hours, in
Omaha, later in Chicago, and last in Philadelphia. It is impossible to
conjecture whether it is a heavenly body wandering out of its natural
course or whether it is a mechanical toy invented by human hands, for it
travels too fast for satisfactory examination or observation. It is at
present reading an unsolved problem.”
A scientific magazine devoted several pages to theories concerning this
aerial stranger:
“Its speed seemed only rivaled by the ease and grace of its motions. It
has not been seen to land any passengers, neither is it known that it
contained passengers, although judging from its direct and steady course
it is reasonable to believe that it is controlled by human agency.
People are sleeping on the house-tops hoping to see it sail by, for some
one is on watch every moment to give the signal should it appear.”
In the meantime our young people were half way to Europe in the midst of
a terrible thunder storm and now it was that “The Queen” showed the
perfection of her mechanism, for with sails lowered, and all things
shipshape, she was ready for anything, and though the wind blew
hurricanes, the thunder sounded with deafening crashes, and the
lightning fairly blinded them with its lurid glare, the ship floated
serenely onward. Storms had no visible effect upon this queer-shaped air
craft. It shot through the storm clouds like a meteor with no trouble
whatsoever, while the rain and hail slipped off doing no damage. Once or
twice the girls had a scare when it turned bottom side up and over and
over two or three times like a bucket of water when twirled at arms
length, but it righted itself at once and all was done so quickly that
not even a dish fell from the shelves or a chair moved from its place
any more than a drop of water would fall from a bucket swung in that
way. At another time it spun round and round like a top until they were
all dizzy and could scarcely sit up, then it shot forward hither and
thither with lightning-like speed. At last the old man disentangled the
wires and adjusted the steering apparatus, when all was again smooth
sailing, but he found that in doing so he had sustained several shocks
from the electric wires and some bad burns.
“Now is the time for me to experiment on myself and see what radium will
do for me. It is claimed to effect wonderful cures for such things.” He
made the experiment and found that it not only effected a painless but
also a quick cure. “It is an ill wind that blows no one any good,” he
said, “and now I can recommend the use of this element for burns and
blisters.” He seemed quite delighted to think that he had been hurt
since it gave him an opportunity of proving the wonderful power of this
new metal.
While the storm was raging, our party had heard the booming of cannon
and had seen sky-rockets ascend.
“Are they signals of distress from some ship underneath us?” asked
Harold.
“I think so,” answered the captain, as they now called the old man.
“I’ll lower our ship and see if we cannot assist them.”
Presently they saw an ocean-liner breasting the winds and breakers,
helpless in midocean, without masts and with a big hole in its side.
“It is doomed!” cried the captain; “but we can save the passengers. Our
ship will float above her steady as a rock and I can lower rope ladders
so that her passengers can reach our deck in safety.”
When the frightened passengers saw this magnificent ship in mid-air
above them they thought it was a mirage or phantom-ship sent to mock
them in their despair, but when they heard through the megaphone
encouraging words directing them to mount the ladders to safety, they
instantly complied and soon every person on the disabled ship from
stevedore to captain was on the air-ship, some with tears and sobs,
others with white haggard faces thanking the captain for his timely
coming. The last person had barely placed his foot on the step of the
ladder when the ocean steamer gave a mighty lurch and disappeared from
sight as if pulled under water by some merciless mer-king.
After the passengers recovered from their fright they were profuse with
their oh’s and ah’s of admiration of the majestic ship they were now on,
with its new electrical contrivances, peculiar mode of lighting, and the
elegance and comfort of its furnishings. Everything was examined from
the bathtubs to the stringed musical instruments that vibrated
harmonious, plaintive melodies as the wind swept through them. They were
delighted with the frescoes and superb paintings illustrative of scenes
in space as well as on land and water, which decorated the ceilings and
walls.
The wrecked ship was bound for Liverpool so the captain landed his
passengers there one fine morning before half the people of that city
were awake.
[Illustration:
THEY REMINDED ONE OF THE ALCHEMISTS OF OLD
(p. 84)
]