CHAPTER XXII
IN THE HURRICANE
There was a volley of shots from the prison guards, and the flashes ofthe rifles cut bright slivers of flame in the darkness, but, so rapidlydid the airship go up, veering off on a wide slant, under the skillfulguidance of Tom that the shots did no harm.
"Bless my bullet pouch!" cried Mr. Damon. "They must be quite excited."
"Shouldn't wonder," calmly observed Ned, as he went to help his chum inmanaging the airship. "But it won't do them any good. We've got ourman."
"And right from under their noses, too," added Ivan Petrofskyexultingly. "This rescue of an exile will go down in the history ofRussia."
The two exile brothers were gazing fondly at each other, for now thatthe Falcon was so high, Tom ventured to turn on the lights.
A moment later the three Russians were excitedly conversing, while Tomand Ned managed the craft, and Mr. Damon, after listening a moment tothe rapid flow of the strange language, which quite fascinated him,hurried to the galley to prepare a meal for the rescued one, who hadbeen taken away before he had had a chance to get his supper.
His wonder at his startling and unexpected rescue may well be imagined,but the joy at being reunited to his brother overshadowed everythingfor the time being. But when he had a chance to look about, and seewhat a strange craft he was in, his amazement knew no bounds, and hewas like a child. He asked countless questions, and Ivan Petrofsky andMr. Borious took turns in answering them. And from now on, I shall givethe conversation of the two new Russians just as if they spoke English,though of course it had to be translated by Ivan Petrofsky, Peter'sbrother.
If Peter was amazed at being rescued in an airship, his wonder grewwhen he was served with a well-cooked meal, while high in the air, andwhile flying along at the rate of fifty miles an hour. He could nottalk enough about it.
By degrees the story of how Tom and his friends had started for Russiawas told, and there was added the detail of how Mr. Borious came to bepicked up.
"But brother Ivan, you did not come all that distance to rescue me; didyou?" asked Peter.
"Yes, partly, and partly to find the platinum mine."
"What? The lost mine that you and I stumbled upon in that terriblestorm?"
"That is the one, Peter."
"Then, Tom Swift may as well return. I doubt if we can even locate thedistrict where it was, and if we did find it, the winds blow so thateven this magnificent ship could not weather the gales."
"I guess he doesn't understand about my air glider," said Tom with asmile, when this was translated to him. "I wish I had a chance to putit together, and show him how it works."
"Oh, it will work all right," replied Ned, who was very proud of hisfriend's inventive ability.
"Now, what is the next thing to be done?" asked Tom, a little laterthat evening, when, supper having been served, they were sitting in themain cabin, talking over the events of the past few days. "I'd like toget on the track of that platinum treasure."
"And we will do all in our power to aid you," said Ivan Petrofsky. "Mybrother and I owe much to you--in fact Peter owes you his life; do younot?" and he turned to him.
"I do," was the firm answer.
"Oh, nonsense!" exclaimed Tom, who did not like to be praised. "Ididn't do much."
"Much! You do not call taking me away from that place--that sulphurmine--that horrible prison barrack with the cruel guards--you do notcall that much? My friend," spoke the Russian solemnly, "no one onearth has done so much for me as you have, and if it is the power ofman to show you where that lost mine is, my brother and I will do so!"
"Agreed," spoke Ivan quietly.
"Then what plans shall we make?" asked Tom, after a little more talk."Are we to go about indiscriminately, or is there any possible way ofgetting on the trail?"
"My brother and I will try and decide on a definite route," spoke IvanPetrofsky. "It is some time since I have seen him, and longer since weaccidently found the mine together, but we will consult each other,and, if possible make some sort of a map."
This was done the next day, the present maps aboard the Falcon beingconsulted, and the brothers comparing notes. They began to lay out astretch of country in which it was most likely the lost mine lay. Ittook several days to do this, for sometimes one brother would forgetsome point, and again the other would. But at last they agreed oncertain facts.
"This is the nearest we can come to it," said Ivan Petrofsky to Tom."The lost platinum mine lies somewhere between the city of Iakutsk andthe first range of the Iablonnoi mountains. Those are the northern andsouthern boundaries. As for the western one, it is most likely the Lenariver, and the eastern one the Amaga river. So you see you have quite alarge stretch of country to search, Tom Swift."
"Yes, I should say I had," agreed the young inventor. "But I have hadharder tasks. Now that I know where to head for I'll get there as soonas possible."
"And what will you do when you arrive?" asked Ned.
"Fly about in the Falcon, in ever-widening circles, starting as nearthe centre of that area as possible," replied Tom. "And as soon as Irun into a steady hurricane I'll know that I'm at the place of the bigwinds, and I'll get out my glider, for I'll be pretty sure to be nearthe place."
"Bless my gas meter!" cried Mr. Damon. "That's the talk!"
Tom put his plan into operation at once, by heading the nose of hiscraft for the desolate region mapped out by the Russian brothers.
The days that followed were filled with weary searching. It was likethe time when they had sought for the plain of the great ruined Templein Mexico, that they might locate the underground city of gold. Only inthis case they had no such landmark as a great Aztec ruin to guide them.
What they were seeking for was something unseen, but which could befelt--a mysterious wind--a wind that might be encountered any time, andwhich might send the Falcon to the earth a wreck.
The Russian brothers, staggering about in the storm, had seen the mineunder different conditions from what it would be viewed now. Then itwas winter in Siberia. Now it was summer, though it was not very warm.
On and on sailed the Falcon. The weather could not have been better,but for once Tom wanted bad weather. He wanted a blow--the harder thebetter--and all eyes anxiously watched the anemometer, or wind gage.But ever it revolved lazily about in the gentle breeze.
"Oh, for a hurricane!" cried Tom.
He got his wish sooner than he anticipated. It was about two days afterthis, when they were going about in a great circle, about two hundredmiles from the imaginary centre of the district in which the mine lay,that, as Mr. Damon was getting dinner a dish he was carrying to thetable was suddenly whisked out of his hand.
"I say, what's the matter?" he cried. "Bless my--"
But he had no time to say more. The airship fairly stood on end, andthen, turning completely about, was rapidly driven in the oppositedirection, though her propellers were working rapidly.
"What's up?" yelled Ned.
"We are capsizing!" shouted Ivan Petrofsky, and indeed it seemed so,for the airship was being forced over.
"I guess we've struck what we want!" cried Tom. "We're in a hurricaneall right! This is the place of the big wind! Now for my air glider, ifI can get the airship to earth without being wrecked! Ned, lend a hand!We've got our work cut out for us now!"