Chapter XXVII: The Professor Triumphs

Within ten minutes the last of them had mounted the ladder and gained the open night. All about them the huts of the village showed blackly in the starlight. They soon perceived that they stood at some distance from the central stone building, and that their place of captivity had been underground as they had surmised.

But although they had escaped from their prison they were still in fearful danger. Even as they waited there, a tall form, that of a sentry, strode around the corner of the building. In two bounds “red-jacket” was on him. He must have been possessed of huge strength, for the fellow went down like a nine-pin with the interpreter on top of him. When the latter arose the sentry lay quite still.

“You ain’t killed him, have you?” asked the captain as the interpreter rejoined the group.

“He says that if he has, it’ll be blamed on us,” the captain translated to his companions when the interpreter had whispered his reply.

“That’s fine,” muttered Tom; “a good beginning I must say.”

But their guardian was motioning to them to follow him. He had replaced the grating and concealed the rope ladder in some brush and rocks that grew near by. As they silently crept after their guide down a street of huts, they were all conscious of choking heart-beats and pulses that throbbed with uncomfortable rapidity. The slightest false step might bring the whole village down on them.

In this way they reached the end of the street and saw before them something that made them choke with delight. It was the huge, bulking outline of the _Wondership_. There she stood, seemingly as safe and sound as when they had left her.

With a whispered word to the captain that he had done all he dared, their guide left them here and slipped off among the shadows.

“The game is in our own hands now,” whispered the captain as they crept forward. “Go as silent as cats and we’re all right.”

On tip-toe, hardly daring to draw breath, they crept on toward the _Wondership_. It was like carrying a lighted torch above a pit full of dynamite. At any instant an explosion that would prove fatal to them all was liable to happen.

And suddenly it did.

As ill-luck would have it, one of Chekla’s subjects, either for hygienic or other reasons, had chosen to sleep out of doors that night. Tom’s foot struck him in the ribs, and with a yell that might have been heard a mile off the man sprang to his feet. Shouting at the top of his voice, he made for the village.

“Wow-ow! Now the fat’s in the fire!” gasped the skipper aghast at this unforeseen calamity. “Jack, if you can’t git that craft inter the air in five seconds or less, we’re gone coons!”

They set off on a run for the craft. All attempt at secrecy was useless now. It was simply a race against time. From the aroused village came a perfect babel of yells and shouts. Lights flashed. Savage imprecations resounded. The whole place was astir like a disturbed bee-hive.

Into the machine they tumbled helter-skelter. Jack switched on one of the shaded lights, pulled a lever and the welcome chug-chug of the gas pump responded. The _Wondership_ swayed and pitched.

“Let ‘er go!” shouted the captain as from the village a mass of yelling savages came rushing down on them.

“Hold on!” shouted the young commander of the flying auto. “Where’s Tom?”

“Great Scott! Ain’t he here?”

“No!”

“Good Lord!” groaned the captain. “It’s all off now!”

But out of the darkness came a shout. It was Tom.

“Hold on. I’ll be with you.”

Then came the sounds of a struggle and the next instant they heard the impact of a crunching blow, a yell of pain and a savage shout, “Take that!”

“That’s Tom in action,” shouted the captain. “Come on, Tom!”

There was a rush of feet and the boy came bounding out of the darkness.

“Got lost in the shuffle!” he gasped.

“That’s all right,” shouted Mr. Chadwick, grabbing him; “in with you, boy, quick!”

In tumbled Tom, half climbing and half-dragged. He lay on the floor in a panting heap, while Jack swiftly raised the panels. This time they worked, and they found out afterward that the temporary sticking that had proved so disastrous was caused by the expansion of the metal in the hot sun.

He was not an instant too soon. Hardly had the plates clanged together with a metallic clash before the savages were on them. Captain Sprowl opened a port in the “whaleback” superstructure and poured out a murderous fire on the Indians before he could be checked.

“Warm work!” he cried, pumping away at the mechanism of the rifle.

From without, came yells and screams. Spears, darts and stones crashed against the machine as if they would smash it to atoms. But in the midst of the turmoil the fugitives felt a sudden upward lurch. So sudden was it that they were all hurled into a heap. But they cared but little for that. The _Wondership_ was going up, bearing them aloft to safety!

As she shot upward, her machinery whirring bravely above the yells and confusion below, Captain Sprowl turned to the others.

“A good Yankee cheer, boys!” he said.

In the deafening din that followed, the professor’s voice was heard ringing out as loudly as any of them. It was the professor, too, who cried out at the conclusion:

“Undt ein Tiger!”

* * * * *

But perhaps the cheers had been a little premature. It was getting toward dawn when it became apparent to all on board that the _Wondership_ was not behaving properly. Her engines revolved more and more slowly. She began to make long swoops and dips.

“What in the world ails her?” demanded the captain.

“Don’t know,” rejoined Jack; “might be any one of a dozen things. We’ll have to go down to fix her.”

“But it’s dark. You can’t land in the tree tops,” expostulated Mr. Chadwick.

“I know that. I think I can manage to keep her going till daylight. If not, we must take our chances.”

Soon after, the first pale light of dawn dimmed the stars. Beneath them—they were heading due east—showed a river. By this time the craft was almost without motion, although, of course, there was no fear of her dropping, for her gas-bag supported her. But the wind was east, and every minute that the engine remained idle, they were being carried back toward the land of the tribe from which they had effected their escape.

With what power remained, Jack brought the _Wondership_ to rest on the surface of the river. She was at once made fast to the bank and the two boys set to work on the engines. It did not take long to locate the trouble. The air intake, by which a certain amount of air was mixed with the explosive gas, had become clogged. To clean it out and put it in good shape would have taken quite a time. Under the circumstances they decided to have breakfast first and then get to work. During the meal a bright lookout was kept and they ate cold stuff, not knowing what hostile tribes might be about and not daring to light a fire.

It was toward the close of the meal that they were considerably startled by loud shouts from a point not far distant. They came rapidly nearer.

“Indians!” gasped Tom.

The rifles were brought from the machine and they awaited the oncoming of the natives with grim determination. But the yells were soon perceived to be those of terror rather than ferocity. As they came closer, Captain Sprowl spoke with an air of authority.

“Those fellows, whoever they are, are running away from something or somebody,” he said.

“May be a tribal war,” suggested Mr. Chadwick.

“Maybe. But hark, what in the ‘Tarnal is that?”

Upon the wind there came, loud above the Indians’ shrieks and cries, a long-drawn noise like a yapping bark.

“Sounds like wolves!” cried Jack.

He had hardly spoken before through the woods, a short distance below them, a number of Indians burst upon the river bank. They piled into some canoes that the adventurers had not perceived hitherto but which had been lying on the bank. Entering them they paddled off down the stream in mad haste, as if in mortal fear of whatever was pursuing them.

The party were still watching them when again that queer bark resounded, and from the forest, at just the point where the canoes had lain, there burst an enormous animal, the like of which none of them had ever beheld.

It was larger than a big cow and ran with a queer, romping sort of gait, suggestive of a rocking horse. Its head was flat and hideous. Its color a dirty brownish white. A more repulsive looking creature could hardly be imagined.

As his eyes fell on it, the professor gave a gasp. He shook from head to foot as if he had been suddenly taken with a fit of the ague.

“Mein Gott in Himmel!” he gasped, and there was no irreverence in his tone, “Der Megatherium!”

At the same instant, Jack’s rifle cracked. The creature gave a loud, terribly human scream and swung toward them. Tom’s rifle barked and with a crash the huge animal sank down in a heap on the river bank. They rushed pell-mell upon it. The professor was yelling like a wild man. The others were hardly less excited.

“Be careful,” warned Mr. Chadwick, as they approached, but the animal was quite dead.

It lay on its side with its legs outstretched. On its feet were large curved claws and its hair was as rough and coarse as that of the small sloth they had shot some days before. As they stood by it, gazing with a wonder in which there was something reverential at this survivor of the age of the mammoth, the professor spoke.

“Chentlemen, ve are der only living beings besides de savages dot haf efer seen such a sighdt. Poys! Der contracdt is ge-fulfilled!”

“Mumping mammoths of Mauretania, I’ll take a picture!” shouted Dick Donovan by a happy inspiration. And there, by the side of that lonely river, was taken the photo that has since been reproduced in countless periodicals throughout the world.

* * * * *

And here, as you may easily guess, the adventures of the Boy Inventors in Brazil practically came to an end. Soon after the discovery of the giant sloth—which was a young and not fully grown specimen—the engine was put in order and the trip to the coast resumed. Of course the entire carcass was taken, in spite of the extra weight which the _Wondership_ bore bravely. Every hair of the beast was precious in the professor’s estimation. When the camp was reached (where they found Judkins peaceably awaiting their return, and very much better) the carcass was skinned, and the flesh boiled from the bones, which were later articulated.

After a day or two in the camp, to allow the professor time to complete his work, they all set sail for the nearest town, Bahia de Santos, five hundred miles to the north. With the discovery of the giant sloth, even though it was not an adult specimen, the professor’s task of proving that such creatures still roam the earth, was completed.

In Bahia de Santos they found a small fruit steamer bound for New Orleans. An arrangement was soon made by which they were accepted as passengers and the _Wondership_, that had done them such good service, traveled as freight on the steamer’s deck.

There was a wireless telegraph at Bahia, and this was kept hot for a time conveying to friends news of their safety and of the professor’s great discovery. At Bahia, too, they learned that both the boat-loads of mutineers had been picked up a short way down the coast, and, with a luck they ill deserved, they had all managed to find berths on different ships and were scattered far beyond the reach of the authorities. As the _Valkyrie_ was amply insured, the professor had no desire to pursue them and there the matter rested.

As to the diamonds, they fetched a surprising price in the States, and the boys decided to employ their share of them in constructing a new invention with which they seem destined to have some astonishing adventures. What this new invention of the ingenious lads proved to be, and how they used it, must be saved for the telling in another volume.

Judkins was suitably recompensed and a good job was found for him on a steamship line in which Mr. Chadwick happened to be interested. Captain Sprowl was made independent by his share of the diamonds. As for Dick Donovan, his story of the finding of the Giant Sloth made him famous overnight. He now commands a big salary, but nothing so exciting as his trip to the Amazon country has engaged his attentions since. He and the boys have become fast friends and he is a frequent visitor to High Towers.

And now we will say “Good-bye” to the Boy Inventors, wishing them well till we meet them again in the next book to be devoted to their doings.

THE END.

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Transcriber's Notes

Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. Variations in hyphenation have been standardised but all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.

Italics are represented thus _italic_.

End of Project Gutenberg's The Boy Inventors' Flying Ship, by Richard Bonner