CHAPTER XX
FIGHTING INDIANS WITH A SEARCHLIGHT
"Stop her!" It was Ned's voice in quick command. The youngaeronaut, peering over the side of the car of the Cibola into theblack night, had suddenly seen something that prompted the order.It was a distant flash of light. This was followed by an echoingexplosion. The other boys heard the explosion and all instantlyknew that it was a shot from a firearm. Almost before Alan couldshut off the power Ned had disappeared into the cabin to help headthe balloon in the direction of the spurt of fire. The Cibolaslackened speed and they waited, drifting slowly toward the east.Then, suddenly, and almost together came two streaks of fire and twomore explosions.
"One of them might mean a signal," said Ned gravely, "but they werenot from the same spot. If it were Elmer he would have the threefires. If it is Elmer and Buck and they can't make a fire and areshooting I am afraid it means trouble."
"It may mean Indians," suggested Bob, "and they may have put outtheir fires for safety."
"They might even be holding off an attack of some kind," added Alananxiously.
Just then there was another crack of a firearm now a little nearer.The Cibola was drifting directly toward the sound, but very slowly,and would soon have lost all headway.
"I don't want to be presumptuous," said Bob in a low voice, "butcan't we land and find out what the trouble is?"
"We can find out without landing," replied Alan.
It was so dark in the cabin that the boys could only dimly see eachother, but Ned was groping about near the silent engine. In amoment he had secured from the ammunition case a storage electriclight, and cautiously shading the lens with his cap he asked Bob tohold it. Then he turned to his chum.
"I didn't know just how we would use our little drop light," hebegan; "but it seems that the idea wasn't half bad. There is atribe of Indians not far from here that would steal a horse or cut aman's throat quickly enough--the renegade or Southern Utes." As hespoke he was digging in a chest extracting various small parcels."Not even the other Indians have any use for the Utes. And there isonly one thing to do. We must first find out if our friends arebelow."
With the help of the flashlight Bob could we that Ned held in hishand a large, high candle-power incandescent bulb and was adjustingit in a silver reflector.
"With an electric light?" exclaimed Bob.
"Why not?" replied Ned. "And the help of our little dynamo."
Ned took the flashlight, held it under his coat, and crawled aroundin front of the silent engine. "It's here," he explained for Bob'sbenefit, "and I am just throwing the gear onto the propeller shaft."
"Well, if you are afraid to show this little light why aren't youafraid to show a brighter light?" asked the observing reporter.
Alan answered him.
"We are only afraid because it might draw an attack from someobserver. Balloonists are never safe from meddlesome persons orworse. But there isn't the same danger if the light isn't on theballoon."
"Sure," said Bob. "I understand that. But you can't hold it veryfar away."
"No," answered Ned, "that's why we braided two good copper wires inour drag rope." As he said this he opened the trap door in thefloor of the cabin and feeling about in the dark soon had hold ofthe coiled drag.
"I guess I'm dull," began Bob.
"No," interrupted Alan, "only you haven't given two or three yearsto figuring out the possibilities of an air ship."
Ned was attaching the bulb, reflector down, to the end of the rope.
"That rope is three hundred feet long. A light at the end of it isquite a way from our bag.
"Oh, I see," exclaimed Bob at last. "If we find Indians and theyshoot at our searchlight they are pretty sure to miss us."
"That is the theory," answered Ned.
And then the plan in Ned's mind was explained. The engine was to bestarted at quarter speed, which meant that the sound would beimperceptible; and, lying on the floor of the cabin, Ned was todirect the movements of the ship, with Alan at the rudder wheel andBob at the aeroplane guider.
"A quarter to ten o'clock," said Ned glancing at his watch as heshut off the concealed flashlight, "and now start her up."
As Alan started the engine and it began to turn the propeller theycould tell by the light breeze that the car was moving again, butvery slowly. The other boys could also hear Ned delicately payingout the long drag rope. At last it was all out. Then Ned crawledforward again to the dynamo and up to the partly open floor of thecar and whispered that he was ready. The multiple gear was alreadyspeeding the little generator swiftly.
"Lie down on the floor and watch," murmured Ned softly, "I'm goingto turn her on."
Alan and Bob did so. As their two heads filled the open trap in thecabin floor there was a click and then, as if some necromancy hadfocused the sun on a part of the darkened world, a circle of lightseemed to spring out of the desert beneath. Yellow, with here andthere a ragged rock and a sage brush or two, the shadows of therocks and brush black like spilled ink, and the sand glaring back atthem with almost quivering brightness, the circle shot back andforth as the light followed the swinging rope. But no living thingwas in sight. A click and all was black again.
"Nothing doing," exclaimed Bob.
"Wait," suggested Ned, "persons we couldn't see may have seen them."
Almost as he spoke there was another quick report.
"Did you see the flash, Alan?" asked Ned eagerly, for he had beenbusy with the dynamo.
But Alan was already at the wheel, and again the car swung from itscourse.
"Wait," he exclaimed, "turn it on again when I give the word."
After perhaps two minutes he gave the signal and again Ned flashedthe gleaming bulb. Again the circle sprang apparently out of theblack ground. As the car drifted forward the black blotched goldensand ran the opposite way like a whirling panorama. A coyotesprang, dazed, from a clump of bushes and back again, but that wasall.
"Give him another chance," whispered Alan, and the light flashedout.
"Listen," exclaimed Bob breathlessly, "wasn't that a cry?"
Another moment and the sound came again.
"Elmer!" exclaimed the two air ship boys together.
The Cibola swung instantly at Alan's quick touch. Again the lightflashed. Sand and rock and brush. The brilliant circle of lightshot here and there, but the anxious watchers saw sign of neitherfriend nor foe. Then like a flash the level plain dropped into thesudden slope of a coulee and the darker shadow of water blotted outthe glare of sand.
"The river," whispered Ned. "Now watch sharp."
As the light was blotted out this time Alan swung the wheel again.He knew instantly that they were on the wrong track, as they weregoing east and crossing the Chusco. Elmer and Buck would not crossthe river. The camp was to be on the west side.
"Follow the river," ordered Ned quickly; "the west shore."
In order that the Cibola might be laid on the new course Ned threwon the light switch again. As he did so and the light flashed therewas the sharp crack of a rifle and the light was gone.
"Turn her on," exclaimed Alan; "I want to get a line on the riverbed."
Ned laughed. "I'll need a new bulb first. Some one down belowturned it off."
"What?" exclaimed the other boys together.
"Shot out," calmly retorted Ned.