THE WRECK
Despite the invitation of the captain to remain longer aboard the
_Cinnabar_, Jerry and Bob insisted on going back at once to the
floating _Comet_. Lars Porsen was sent for and questioned, but he could
add little to what he had told the steward. There seemed no doubt but
that he had sighted the missing _Manhattan_.
“This will be good news for Ned,” remarked Jerry, as he and his chum
were being rowed back to their air-craft, and indeed the merchant’s
son was delighted with it. He had begun to give up hope, and when he
thought of his father waiting for the aid of Mr. Jackson, fighting
off his relentless business enemies, the heart of Ned was sad. Now he
brightened up.
“We’ll get right on the trail!” he cried. “Come on, Jerry, speed the
_Comet_ up as fast as she’ll go.”
“Yes, for if any one is left alive on the balloon, they must need help
by this time,” observed the tall lad. “They may have given up hope of
ever being rescued.”
“I hope they have plenty to eat,” remarked Bob, with a tragic air, as
he thought of the well-filled larders of the _Comet_.
“Oh, you cannibal!” cried Ned, as he hastened here and there, helping
Jerry get ready to send the motorship on her way again.
The passengers and crew of the _Cinnabar_ cheered as the gallant little
craft left the waves and flew into the air. Then, circling about, and
dipping the airship down in place of lowering any colors, in response
to three hoarse blasts from the steamer’s whistle, Jerry sent the
_Comet_ off in the direction indicated by the sailor.
Soon the smoke of the big vessel was left far astern, and once more our
friends were peering eagerly forward through the telescope for a sight
of the disabled balloon.
Bob prepared the fish they had caught in so many different ways, and so
often, that Ned and Jerry declared they never wanted to see a hook or
line again. But they also had good meals of other viands, for Bob gave
his whole attention to the task of cooking. Indeed, for the next few
days there was little else to do. They kept on, moving slowly, so as
not to miss the big balloon, and travelling a few miles on either side
of the direct course, pursuing a sort of zig-zag way, in order to cover
more space.
Professor Snodgrass had his note-books all written up--he had
classified and arranged all his specimens, and then he sighed for new
ones. But none was to be had, for they were now well out to sea, beyond
the limits of birds or insects, and the water below them offered the
only dwelling-place of specimens. As they did not want to lose time,
they did not go down again for some time.
One evening, after an uneventful day, when their eyes ached with the
strain of looking in vain for the balloon, the three boys were sitting
on the forward deck, talking over matters connected with their trip.
The automatic steering apparatus had been set, and there was no need of
any one being in the pilot house.
Suddenly Jerry, who had been listening to some banter between Bob and
Ned, jumped to his feet, exclaiming:
“I smell smoke! There must be something afire!”
“So do I!” added Ned.
It was enough to cause intense alarm to all of them, for a fire on
board the airship, with the tanks filled with the lifting gas, was a
terror most to be dreaded.
Fairly running, Jerry made his way back to the stern, followed by
his two chums. The smell of smoke became stronger as they neared the
after-deck, and, once they were beyond the deck superstructures, they
caught fleeting glimpses of darting tongues of fire.
“Quick! Bring the extinguishers! They’re in the main cabin!” cried
Jerry. Bob and Ned started back after them, while the tall lad kept on,
to discover the location of the fire, which seemed to be in the very
stern of the craft.
Jerry saw some dark object, from which the smoke seemed to be coming,
and in the interior of which were seen the flames. He was about to rush
at it, and toss it overboard, thinking fire might have been started by
spontaneous combustion in some box or crate, when Bob and Ned ran up
with chemical extinguishers.
“There it is!” cried Jerry, pointing to the fire. “Play the hose there!”
Suddenly there was a yell, and from the midst of the dark object, which
the boys could now see was a canvas shelter, like a small tent, there
sprang Professor Snodgrass, all dripping from the chemicals.
“Here! What’s the matter?” he shouted. “Stop! You’re drowning me!”
“We’re trying to put out the fire!” yelled Jerry. “What were you doing
there? Are you burned? Did the smoke make you unconscious?”
“Fire! There’s no fire!” cried the little scientist, as he wiped the
trickling chemicals from his face.
“No fire! Why the smoke?” asked Ned.
“And the flames!” added Bob.
“And the smell!” came from Jerry.
“It was no fire,” went on the scientist, as he kicked over the canvas
shelter. “I had just made a little smudge on a piece of sheet iron. I
was smoking one of the fish I had caught, to preserve the specimen. I
built a fire out here on deck, where there would be no danger, and put
certain chemicals on it to preserve the fish skin. That’s what made the
smell.”
“It certainly _smelled_, all right,” grimly remarked Jerry. “Are you
sure there’s no fire on the deck boards, professor?”
“Not a bit. Oh, I took good care there would be no danger. I put a pan
of water on deck, and on top of that I laid some sheet-iron. Then I
made a little fire of wood and old rags on the iron, sprinkled the
chemicals in the flames, and held the fish over them. I’m sorry if I
caused you any fright.”
“Well you did--a little,” admitted Jerry, “but I guess----”
“I more than paid for it,” interrupted the scientist with a smile.
“However, it’s all done. I just got through as you squirted the
chemicals on me.”
As he had said, he had taken precautions against the little blaze
spreading, and now the charred wood and rags on the sheet of iron were
dropped into the ocean.
“You never can tell what he’s going to do next,” complained Jerry to
his chums, with a smile, as they went into the cabin.
All the next day they watched. Several times they mistook low-lying
clouds, or a dark bit of mist for the balloon they sought, but, on
increasing their speed, and hastening toward it, they saw their error.
It was toward the close of the afternoon when Bob, who was on the
lookout in the bow, cried:
“Hi, fellows, here’s something!”
Jerry and Ned hastened forward. There, floating on the ocean, which
was about a thousand feet below them, was a dark mass, slowly rising
and falling on the swell.
“The balloon! Wrecked!” cried Ned. “We’re too late!”
“It certainly is some sort of a wreck,” agreed Jerry, as he adjusted
the telescope. He took a long look through the glass. Then he shook his
head.
“I can’t make it out on account of the haze,” he said. “We’ll go down
to it. Speed up the motor, Ned.”