Part 7 (1/2)

”We're pretty high up in the air,” he said, ”and scooting along at about fifty miles an hour. We are going against the wind, too, but fortunately it is not blowing hard.”

At that moment there sounded from without a peculiar howling sound, as if a siren whistle was being blown.

”'Pears like there's goin' t' be a tumultuous demonstration of sub-maxiliary contortions in th' empherial regions contiguous t' th'

upper atmosphere!” exclaimed Was.h.i.+ngton, entering from the engine room into the conning tower.

”What's the trouble?” asked Mr. Henderson.

”Terrible big black cloud chasin' us from behind!” exclaimed the colored man.

Noting the alarm in Was.h.i.+ngton's voice the professor glanced from the rear window. What he saw caused him to exclaim:

”It's a cyclone! We must drop down to avoid it!”

He sprang to a lever controlling the gas and yanked it toward him.

There was a shrill hissing sound, and a second later the Mermaid began to sink. The boys watching the gages on the wall of the tower, saw that the craft was falling rapidly.

But, with a rush and roar, the terrible wind was upon them. It caught the craft in its fearful grip and heeled it over as a s.h.i.+p careens to the ocean blast.

”It's a storm in the upper regions! We'll find it calm below!” cried the professor above the howling of the gale. He opened the gas outlet wider and the s.h.i.+p fell more rapidly.

”Are you sure we're over the ocean?” asked Mark.

”Positive!” the professor called back. ”We have been traveling straight south over the Atlantic for the last week. We will land in the midst of the waters and float safely.”

Lower and lower went the Mermaid. The wind was now blowing with the force of a tornado, and, as the craft had to slant in order to descend, it felt the power of the gale more than if it had scudded before it. But, by skilful use of the directing tube, the professor was able to keep the boat from turning over. As they came further down toward the earth the force of the wind was felt less and less, until, as they came within two hundred feet of the water which they saw below them in the gathering dusk, it died out altogether.

”Now we are free from it,” said the professor as the Mermaid came down on the waves like an immense swan.

”Are you going ahead or going to stop here?” asked Mark

”We'll keep right on,” Mr. Henderson answered. ”No telling when the storm may strike down here. We'll go as far as we can to-night.”

CHAPTER VII

A QUEER SAIL

NOW that the fear and worriment was over they all began to feel hungry, and, while Mark and Jack took charge of the conning tower Was.h.i.+ngton got breakfast. The professor seemed preoccupied during the meal, and several times, when Mark spoke to him, he did not reply.

”I wonder if he is worried about something, or is thinking of something which seems to be concealed in the storeroom,” the boy thought.

But, after a while, the professor seemed to be more like himself. He was busy over several maps and charts, and then announced the s.h.i.+p would try air-sailing again for a while.

”We can make better time above than we can on the water,” he said, ”and I am anxious to get to the mysterious island and learn what is in store for us.”

Perhaps if the professor had been able to look ahead, and see what was soon going to happen, he would not have been so anxious for it to occur.