Part 19 (1/2)

As the Sky-Bird arose into the air, the flyers noticed that Grandpa the monkey was slightly excited. This they attributed to the presence of the gorilla's skin; but when they saw Grandpa continue to dash wildly about the cabin, from their shoulders to the rear window, out of which he would take a quick look only to fly back to them and chatter wildly and coweringly, Paul thought he would see what could be the trouble.

One glance was enough. He shut the open window with a bang, and turned to his companions with a pale face.

”Fellows,” said he; ”we've got a pa.s.senger!”

”A pa.s.senger?” cried they.

”Yes,” said Paul, ”a monstrous big snake!”

CHAPTER XXI

THE DOUBLE LOOP

For a moment or two John and Bob stared at Paul blankly, unable to comprehend the import of his announcement. Tom was at the throttle, and while he had heard the startling words, he was too occupied in guiding the Sky-Bird to do anything except take a quick glance backward.

”A snake?” repeated Bob.

”Not on the machine?” cried John.

”Yes,” Paul said, with a seriousness which left no further doubt as to the truth of his statement. ”He's a whopper--must be twelve or fourteen feet long and as thick as my leg. He's there on the fuselage just outside of the window, hanging on for dear life. If I hadn't shut that window just as I did, I believe he would have crawled in here in a minute.”

John and Bob now hurried to the window and looked out. In the moonlight they could distinctly see a huge reptile, either a python or a boa-constrictor, coiled up in the angle formed by the juncture of the airplane body and the broad base of the left wing. The creature was so long that its tail pa.s.sed up over the rounded fuselage and out upon the other wing. Bob flashed his electric pocket lamp upon it, and by the yellow and brown mottled spots upon its body and the double plates of whitish scale at its tale, and the wicked-looking triangular head, they were sure it must really be a python, one of the most dreaded of African snakes. These creatures think a monkey a very choice morsel of food, and undoubtedly it had been attracted to the airplane, while it stood in the gra.s.s, by the appearance of Grandpa in the open cabin window, but had been frustrated in its designs by the return of the flyers and the sudden rising of the machine.

Now, with the window shut, the boys seemed safe enough for the present.

They could see that the big snake was extremely uneasy. As the wind whistled by him, his great tail twisted and untwisted, and he seemed to be trying to get a better hold on the smooth surface, while his beady eyes glared at them only a moment in the glow of the flashlight, and then he transferred his attention to the landscape below them. His forked fangs darted in and out during this time with the angriest lightning-like movement.

Paul relieved Tom at the throttle for a few minutes, so that the latter could have a look at the reptile.

When Tom came back again to his post, he said, with plain uneasiness: ”I never saw such a big snake before, Paul. Between the rush of wind and the roar of the engine and propeller, he seems scared out of his wits.”

”We've got to get him off of there somehow--and mighty soon, too,” put in John, with decision. ”Tom, if that monster should begin to slip a little most likely he will coil his tail around some of our control wires,--and then what?”

Their faces blanched at this prospect. They knew what that would mean.

It would mean that the great creature would either operate the airplane's rudders when they should not be operated, or would prevent Tom from moving them when they must be moved. In either event, the result would be disaster to machine and crew.

”Good heavens, boys!” said Tom, so nervous his voice shook, ”get rid of that snake as quick as you can!” He fancied he could see the rear control levers moving at that instant.

The other three flyers knew the importance of these instructions, but how were they to carry them out? The reptile was too large to be shoved off with a stick or pole, and would probably squirm through the window while they were attempting it. And they were afraid to use a gun, as, in the case of a miss or a little lurch of the airplane at the moment of firing, the bullet might puncture the hollow wing or rear fuselage and let helium escape.

It was Bob who solved the puzzle.

”Why not try a loop or two?” he asked.

Their hearts jumped with hope at this. So everything was made tight in the cabin, with the straps and fastenings which had been provided when the machine was made. Even Grandpa had to submit to being roped up in one of the swinging hammocks. When the boys had buckled themselves down to their seats, John gave Tom the word, and he began to rise slowly. At close to two thousand feet he brought the Sky-Bird quickly and smoothly upward until she stood almost on her tail end.

Then Tom threw the elevators and ailerons hard up, and held them there.

They were going at a rate of close to a hundred miles an hour at the moment, and their velocity brought them around in a pretty loop. There was no way for them to tell if the serpent had been dislodged, so, to make as sure as he could of accomplis.h.i.+ng his purpose, Tom kept his controls as set, and they made another or double loop.