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Updated: May 5, 2025
With the aid of Jupe, the gas bag was inflated to a point where only a slight additional quantity of gas would cause the craft to shoot upward to the sky. When all was ready a test of the instruments was made and they were found to be working perfectly. The powerful alternator on the Wondership was, of course, worked by the same motor that drove the big propellers.
"Better turn back," said Mr. Chadwick. Jack turned to Tom and gave him the necessary instructions. Then he set over his guiding wheel, turning the big rudder at the stern of the Wondership and she acted as obediently as a sea-going craft answering her helm. Never had she behaved better. They flew swiftly back toward High Towers and were soon in sight of Rayburn.
Here and there in the black, swampy-looking bare space, they could see where holes had been dug, but when they examined the spade, which Jack had seen from the Wondership as they descended, they found that it was rusty and had evidently not been used for a long time. It was the same in the rude hut which they examined. Some rusty utensils and a few ragged old garments were all that was inside.
"Here is a man forever after rocks, rocks, and there goes a miner set upon becoming rich and discovering some imaginary mine." He saw Jack waving to him from the veranda of the hotel. "Listen, Tom," said his chum when they stood side by side, "I was thinking that it would be a splendid idea to send the Wondership to New York, and that from there we travel to Nestorville, via the air route."
While the dumpy little geologist went once more to search for strange specimens, the boys readily set to work and in a very short time the camping equipment was placed on board the Wondership. When the boys arrived at Yuma, Masterson found no difficulty in selling the camping outfit to old man McGee, who decided to make one more try to find the Three Buttes.
"When it was the Roadracer," interpolated Jack. "Exactly; but I must confess that when I saw you a short time ago looking like a floating ball of fire, I lost my taste for aërial travel." "We'll go back by road, then," said Jack, as through the rain, which was falling in torrents, they ran to the Wondership.
The twin propellers beat the air furiously, clawing the Wondership up stream, while the water hissed and roared all about her, and the engine labored with a noise like that of a giant locust. And then, almost before he knew it, and before either Tom or the doctor realized in the least what had happened, they found themselves safe on the other side.
"Now what's to be done?" asked Tom. "We ought to get him over to the Wondership and rush him to the hospital at Nestorville," said Jack. "Yes, that would be the thing to do. But he's too heavy for us to carry," objected Tom. "Why not fly over here alongside him. I guess we could lift him in; that patch ought to hold by this time," suggested Jack. "That's a good idea.
He glanced toward the black waste, on the edge of which they left the Wondership. The next instant he uttered a startled exclamation. Above the bare patch of dark-colored earth tall white figures were dancing, gleaming in the moonlight. Jack's heart gave a bound and he caught his breath for an instant. Then he felt inclined to laugh at his own fears.
Its wet folds swelled out, and presently Jack started the propellers. Like a racehorse leaping a barrier, the Wondership rose skyward. "Hold fast!" cried the boy in a triumphant voice. "Wow!" yelled Tom, "there are more ways of killing a cat than by choking it with cream."
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