CHAPTER XXI
THE RESCUE
"Have we--have we time to get a drink?" gasped Ned, when the aeroplane,now on a level keel, had been shooting forward about three minutes.Already it was beyond the reach of the rifles.
"Yes, but take only a little," cautioned Tom. "Oh! it doesn't seempossible that we are free!"
He switched on a few interior lights, and by their glow the faint andstarving platinum-seekers found water and food. Their craft had,apparently, not been touched in their absence, and the machinery ranwell.
Cautiously they ate and drank, feeling their strength come back tothem, and then they removed the traces of their terrible imprisonment,and set about in ease and comfort, talking of what they had suffered.
Onward sped the aeroplane, onward through the night, and then Tom,having set the automatic steering gear, all fell into heavy slumbersthat lasted until far into the next day.
When the young inventor awoke he looked below and could seenothing--nothing but a sea of mist.
"What's this?" he cried. "Are we above the clouds, or in a fog oversome inland sea?"
He was quite worried, until Ivan Petrofsky informed him that they werein the midst of a dense fog, which was common over that part of Siberia.
"But where are we?" asked Ned.
"About over the province of Irtutsk," was the answer. "We are headingnorth," he went on, as he looked at the compass, "and I think aboutright to land somewhere near where my brother is confined in thesulphur mine."
"That's so; we've got to drop," said Tom. "I must get the gas piperepaired. I wish we could see over what soft of a place we were so asto know whether it would be safe to land. I wish the mist would clearaway."
It did, about noon, and they noted that they were over a desolatestretch of country, in which it would be safe to make a landing.
Bringing the aeroplane down on as smooth a spot as he could pick out,Tom and Ned were soon at work clearing out the clogged pipe of the gasgenerator. They had to take it out in the open air, as the fumes wereunpleasant, and it was while working over it that they saw a shadowthrown on the ground in front of them. Startled they looked up, to seea burly Russian staring at them.
The sudden appearance of a man in that lonely spot, his calm regard ofthe lads, his stealthy approach, which had made it possible for him tobe almost upon them before they were aware of his presence, all thismade them suspicious of danger. Tom gave a quick glance about, however,and saw no others--no Cossack soldiers, and as he looked a second timeat the man he noted that he was poorly dressed, that his shoes wereragged, his whole appearance denoting that he had traveled far, and wasweary and ill.
"What do you make of this, Ned?" asked Tom, in a low voice.
"I don't know what to make of it. He can't be an officer, in that rig,and he has no one with him. I guess we haven't anything to be afraidof. I'm going to ask him what he wants."
Which Tom did in his plainest English. At once the man broke into astream of confused Russian, and he kept it up until Tom held up hishand for silence.
"I'm sorry, but I can't understand you," said the young inventor. "I'llcall some one who can, though," and, raising his voice, he summonedIvan Petrofsky who, with Mr. Damon, was inside the airship doing somesmall repairs.
"There's a Russian out here, Mr. Petrofsky," said Tom, "and what hewants I can't make out."
The exile was quickly on the scene and, after a first glance at theman, hurried up to him, grasped him by the hand and at once the twowere talking such a torrent of hard-sounding words that Tom and Nedlooked at each other helplessly, while Mr. Damon, who had come out,exclaimed:
"Bless my dictionary! they must know each other."
For several minutes the two Russians kept up their rapid-fire talk andthen Mr. Petrofsky, evidently realizing that his friends must wonder atit, turned to them and said:
"This is a very strange thing. This man is an escaped convict, as Ionce was. I recognized him by certain signs as soon as I saw him,though I had never met him before. There are certain marks by which aSiberian exile can never be forgotten," he added significantly. "Hemade his escape from the mines some time ago, and has suffered greathardships since. The revolutionists help him when they can, but he hasto keep in concealment and travels from town to town as best he may. Hehas heard of our airship, I suppose from inquiries the revolutionistshave been making in our behalf, and when he unexpectedly came upon usjust now he was not frightened, as an ordinary peasant would have been.But he did not know I was aboard."
"And does he know you?" asked Tom. "Does he know you are trying torescue your brother?"
"No, but I will tell him."
There was another exchange of the Russian language, and it seemed tohave a surprising result. For, no sooner had Ivan Petrofsky mentionedhis brother, than the other, whose name was Alexis Borious seemedgreatly excited. Mr. Petrofsky was equally so at the reply his newacquaintance made, and fairly shouted to Tom, Ned and Mr. Damon.
"Friends, I have unexpected good news! It is well that we met this manor we would have gone many miles out of our way. My brother has beenmoved to another mine since the revolutionists located him for me. Heis in a lonely district many miles from here. This man was in the samemine with him, until my brother was transferred, and then Mr. Boriousescaped. We will have to change our plans."
"And where are we to head for now?" asked Tom.
"Near to the town of Haskaski, where my poor brother is working in asulphur mine!"
"Then let's get a move on!" cried Tom with enthusiasm. "Do you thinkthis man will come with us, Mr. Petrofsky, to help in the rescue, andshow us the place?"
"He says he will," translated the exile, "though he is much afraid ofour strange craft. Still he knows that to trust himself to it is betterthan being captured, and sent back to the mines to starve to death!"
"Good!" cried Tom. "And if he wants to, and all goes well, we'll takehim out of Russia with us. Now get busy, Ned, and we'll have thismachine in shape again soon."
While Ivan Petrofsky took his new friend inside, and explained to himabout the workings of the Falcon, Tom and Ned labored over the gasmachine with such good effect that by night it was capable of beingused. Then they went aloft, and making a change in their route, assuggested by Mr. Borious, they headed for the desolate sulphur region.
For several days they sailed on, and gradually a plan of rescue wasworked out. According to the information of the newcomer, the best wayto save Mr. Petrofsky's brother was to make the attempt when theprisoners were marched back from the mines to the barracks where theywere confined.
"It will be dark then," said Mr. Borious, "and if you can hover in yourairship near at hand, and if Mr. Petrofsky can call out to his brotherto run to him, we can take him up with us and get away before theguards know what we are doing."
"But aren't the prisoners chained?" asked Tom.
"No, they depend on guards to prevent escapes."
"Then we'll try that way," decided the young inventor.
On and on they sailed, the Falcon working admirably. Verst after verstwas covered, and finally, one morning, Mr. Borious, who knew thecountry well, from having once been a prisoner there, said:
"We are now near the place. If we go any closer we may be observed. Wehad better remain hidden in some grove of trees so that at nightfall wecan go forth to the rescue."
"But how can we find it after dark?" asked Ned.
"You can easily tell by the lights in the barracks," was the answer. "Ican stand in the pilot house to direct you, for nearly all these exileprisons are alike. The prisoners will march in a long line from themine. Then for the rescue."
It was tedious waiting that day, but it had to be done, and to Tom, whowas anxious to effect the rescue, and proceed to the place of the windsto try his air glider, it seemed as if dusk would never come as theyremained in concealment.
But night finally approached and then the great airship went silentlyaloft, ready to hover over the prison ground. Fortunately
there waslittle wind; and she could be used as a balloon, thus avoiding thenoise of the motor.
"The next thing I do, when I get home," remarked Tom, as they driftedalong. "Will be to make a silent airship. I think they would be veryuseful."
With Mr. Borious in the pilot house, to point out the way, Tom steeredthrough the fast-gathering darkness. The Russian had soon become usedto the airship, and was not at all afraid.
"Can you go just where you want to, as a balloon?" asked the new guide.
"No, but almost," replied Tom. "At the last moment I've got to take achance and start the motor to send us just where we want to go. That'swhy I think a silent airship would be a great thing. You could get upon the enemy before he knew it."
"There are the prison barracks," said the guide a little later, histalk being translated by Mr. Petrofsky. Below and a little ahead ofthem could been seen a cluster of lights.
"Yes, that looks like a line of prisoners," remarked Ned, who waspeering through a pair of night glasses.
"Where?" asked Tom eagerly, and they were pointed out to him. He tookan observation, and exclaimed:
"There they are, sure enough. Now if your brother is only among them,Mr. Petrofsky, we'll soon have him on board."
"Heaven grant that he may be there!" said the exile in a low voice.
A moment later, the Falcon, meanwhile having been allowed to drift asclose as possible to the dimly-seen line of prisoners, Tom set inmotion the great motor, the propeller blades heating the air fiercely.
At the sound there was a shout on the ground below, but before theexcitement had time to spread, or before any of the guards could form anotion of what was about to take place, Tom had sent his craft to earthon a sharp slant, closer to the line of prisoners than he had dared tohope.
Mr. Petrofsky sprang out on deck, and in a loud voice called in Russian:
"Peter! Peter! If you are there, come here! Come quickly! It is I, yourbrother Ivan who speaks. I have come to save you--save you in thewonderful airship of Tom Swift! Come quickly and we will take you away!Peter Petrofsky!"
For a moment there was silence, and then the sound of some one runningrapidly was borne to the ears of the waiting ones. It was followed, amoment later, by angry shouts from the guards.
"Quick! Quick, Peter!" cried the brother, "over this way!"
For an instant only the exile showed a single electric flash light,that his brother might see in which direction to run. The echo of theapproaching footsteps came nearer, the shouts of the guards redoubled,and then came the sound of many men running in pursuit.
"Hurry, Peter, hurry!" cried Mr. Petrofsky, and, as he spoke in Russianthe guards, of course, understood.
Suddenly a rifle shot rang out, but the weapon seemed to have beenfired in the air. A moment later a dark figure clambered aboard theairship.
"Peter, is it you?" cried Ivan Petrofsky, hoarsely.
"Yes, brother! But get away quickly or the whole guard will be swarmingabout here!"
"Praise the dear Lord you are saved!"
"Is it all right?" cried Tom, who wanted to make sure they were savingthe right man.
"Yes! Yes, Tom! Go quickly!" called Ivan Petrofsky, as he folded hisbrother in his arms. A moment later, with a roar, the Falcon shot awayfrom the earth, while below sounded angry cries, confused shouts andmany orders, for the guards and their officers had never known of sucha daring rescue as this.