XIIIA 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.