CHAPTER XXIVGOAL!
“It’s too bad,” said Hiram, and the young aviator’s assistant was very nearly at the point of tears.
“We can only make the best of it,” returned Dave, trying to be philosophical. “At any rate, we made a grand run.”
“Yes, it’s something to beat the world’s record, even half the way,” agreed Hiram. “But think of it—only for that awful break of Davidson we’d have won the day!”
The two young airmen sat outside of a wretched little hotel, a part of a remote fishing town on the island that had been “the forlorn hope” of theAlbatross. The giant airship had succeeded in reaching it.
As Dave sat rather gloomily reviewing experience and prospects, he could not help but think of the past two nights and a day with a thrill. That had been a desperate, hair-breadth dash of the crippled airship. Without knowing all the technical details of their situation, Dave had read from the tireless, feverish actions of Professor Leblance, that he was rushing theAlbatrossunder a fearful strain of risk and suspense, momentarily dreading a new and final disaster.
Before daylight, with a flabby gas bag and with the reserve engine barely able to work the propellers, theAlbatrosshad settled down on a desolate stretch of beach, practically a wreck.
“The mechanism has played out completely,” Leblance had asserted. “According to the regulations of the international society, the flight must end on the French or English mainland. We are two hundred miles short. We might as well be two thousand.”
“Is there no possible chance of getting new machinery, of making temporary repairs that will tide us over?” suggested Mr. King.
“Impossible, under days, even weeks,” replied the Frenchman. “On the rule schedule a stay at any point over twelve hours cancels the right of entry.”
It was, indeed, too bad—so near to success, so very close to goal! A profound gloom had spread over every member of the airship crowd. The islanders had viewed the strange craft with excited curiosity at first, and had then gone back to their fishing. Davidson had been removed to a room at the little hotel, young Brackett in charge as his nurse, and all the others had taken up their quarters as well.
The young aviator and his comrade had been discussing the situation seated on an overturned boat. Hiram at length arose with a dreary kind of sigh and strolled aimlessly back towards the hotel. Dave sat thinking deeply. He started up, however, as he saw Brackett coming towards him.
“Dashaway,” he said quite excitedly, “I’ve got to get back to my charge, don’t dare to leave him alone, you know but I wanted you to read something,” and the speaker extended some folded sheets of paper.
“Why, what is this?” inquired the young aviator.
“You know I understand shorthand—humph! it’s about all I am good for, I reckon,” added Elmer, in his usual deprecating way. “Well, for the past hour or two my patient has been saying some strange things.”
“What about?” asked Dave—“theDictatorand Jerry Dawson, I suppose?”
“You’ve guessed it. I’ve written out his ramblings in long hand. I fancy your quick mind will weave a pretty startling story out of it all.”
“There’s the professor,” said Dave abruptly, “I’ll read your notes later, Brackett,” and he thrust the sheets into his pocket, and started towards the beach as he saw Professor Leblance leave the hotel, bound in the same direction.
The failure of the ambitious Frenchman had almost crushed him. Dave felt sorry for him as he noted the drooping head and dejected manner of the scientist. He did not approach him closely, but followed him at a distance. As they rounded some rocks theAlbatrosscame into full view.
Professor Leblance, walking slowly, gazed with sadness upon the inert monster of the air. Then he looked up at a hail. A fisherman was running towards him. Dave noticed the professor brace up magically at the first words of the native. The latter pointed to the air and the sea. His pantomime was expressive and energetic.
There came a sudden blast of wind, and then Dave understood. He noticed the professor start on a keen run for theAlbatross. He was up the trailing rope ladder sprightly as a lad, shouting some orders to the fisherman, who ran towards the guy cable attached to a great tree trunk.
“It can’t be possible,” almost gasped the startled young airman, “that Professor Leblance is thinking of trusting to the wind alone to finish the flight. It’s true! I won’t be left behind!”
Dave caught at the ladder just as the propeller began to whir. By the time he was in the cabin the earth was fading away. He threaded the corridors in the direction of the engine room.
“Dashaway!” shouted the professor in amazement, as the young airman burst in upon him.
“Yes, Professor, I am here,” said Dave. “You are going to make a try to reach the mainland? I am with you.”
There was no time for compliments, explanations or delay. In two minutes’ time the professor had made his assistant aware of what was required of him. Practically only as a balloon could theAlbatrossnow act, and only provided the strong wind maintained in precisely the direction it was now set.
“See, my friend,” spoke Leblance, eagerly, “we have no control whatever over the planes. The steering apparatus, too, is useless. The engine will barely take care of the propellers. If you know how to operate them, take my seat here. Keep the rudder locked firm. That is all we can do. For the rest—it is a risk, a perilous risk.”
“Anything to get there!” cried Dave; and then the professor left him alone.
TheAlbatrosshad risen to a good altitude at her first spurt. She drove with the wind at a wonderful rate of speed. At the end of an hour, however, the young aviator noticed a gradual drop. The buoyancy of the gas bag was lessening.
After that Dave heard the professor working with tools below the cabin. He was quite startled as there was a jerk. Then he saw first one and then the other of the aeroplane attachments go hurtling down to the water, engulfed by the ocean.
Relieved of such an incubus the airship regained a higher level. Two hours went by, then three. The professor appeared in a great state of excitement and hopefulness.
“She’s dropping again, but don’t let up for an instant,” he ordered. “I see the land ahead—two hours more, and we’ve made it.”
“Will the gas last?” inquired the young aviator, seriously.
“I am about to free our final reserve—one tank. That will do for a spell. Then—if I have to explode the balloonets into the main gas chamber, we must keep aloft till we are over land.”
Up—down—up—down—that was the progress for the next two hours. Once it was nearly a volplane drift, and the dauntless young pilot of theAlbatrossfancied they were headed for a dive straight into the ocean’s depths.
A final rise, and Dave’s heart cheered as he saw land not two miles distant. Professor Leblance rushed into the engine room.
“Drift!” he ordered—“let her drop as she likes now—we have arrived!”
The brave old scientist tottered from excitement and exhaustion as he spoke. A great, thrilling cheer seemed to lift from the lips of the young aviator, and ten minutes later theAlbatross, a wobbling, flabby, weather-worn wreck, landed on a great dock in the sight of waiting thousands.
“Boy,” spoke Professor Leblance, in a ringing tone and with sparkling eyes, “we have reached goal! The giant airship has crossed the Atlantic!”