Secrets of the Andes Page 8

  CHAPTER VIII

  Caught in the Storm

  As the monoplane rose higher, Bob and Joe and the others waved to thelittle group below until it faded from view. Then they turned to takein the country they were passing over.

  Streets, buildings, vehicles, and people were mere specks below, asKarl sent the machine to a new high altitude. Past the city ofWashington, and then on--on above the many small cities and towns ofsouthern Maryland.

  "Wonderful view!" breathed Joe Lewis, gazing out at the wonderfulpanorama that was spread out before them.

  "Bet we can see fifty miles," added Bob. "There's the Potomac Riverover there, and away off in the distance seems to be the ocean. Iwonder if it is?"

  Bob and Joe were strangely unaware of forward movement, though theywere going nearly twice as fast as the fastest automobile. Thecomfortable enclosed cabin kept out the fierce roar of the wind, andheavy insulation silenced the noise of the engine to a remarkabledegree. Thus they found it easy to carry on conversation.

  They made the hundred-and-forty-mile trip to Norfolk in little morethan an hour. Then, after leaving this city behind, they passed overNorth Carolina until finally the ocean loomed up before them.

  When the last stretch of land had been left behind, Bob and Joe werethoughtfully silent. What if anything should happen while they wereout here above the boundless water, with no place near on which toland? It was not pleasant to think of plunging hundreds of feet intothe ocean, even though the water might be calm.

  As they flew farther, Joe was surprised that they had not seen shipsbelow them.

  "This isn't a route of travel," explained Mr. Holton. "We probablywon't see any large liners till we get farther south."

  Later they were able to make out several tramp steamers, which, whenviewed at that altitude, appeared to be at a standstill. Just wherethe vessels were heading the air travelers could only guess.

  Suddenly, unexpectedly, the youths and the naturalists foundthemselves in a heavy cloud, which hid the ocean from view. It was sodark that Mr. Wallace almost mechanically switched on a light.

  "Wonder if this means danger?" mused Joe, gazing intently out of thewindow at the haze.

  "I was wondering the same thing," came from Mr. Holton. "If it does,we ought to hear from Karl before long."

  But before long they passed out of the cloud and once more could seethe ocean. But now the sun was nowhere in sight.

  "We may have some rain," said Karl through the telephone. "Be sure allthe windows are closed tightly."

  Bob wondered if rain would be a hindrance to flying, although hehesitated to put the question before Karl. If the truth were known, hewas not a little worried.

  As they flew farther the sky became more overshadowed. Dark,threatening clouds hovered near, as if to warn the air travelers toseek a place of refuge. It was not a pleasant sight to the fourpassengers.

  All at once they had a sudden sensation of falling, which almost tooktheir breath away. It lasted but a brief moment, however, much to therelief of all.

  "What caused that?" asked Joe, who had turned pale.

  His question was answered a little later by Karl.

  "Feel that drop?" the aviator asked. "I did that to see if we can'tget below the storm area."

  "How far did we fall?" inquired Mr. Wallace interestedly.

  "Only a few hundred feet. And I steered over to the east, too. We seemto be out of the storm area."

  Now, as they flew on, the travelers could easily glimpse the dark massof clouds that they would have been forced to pass through had theyremained strictly on their course.

  An hour or so before noon, the explorers caught sight of a littlegroup of islands, and in the distance they could make out one that wasmuch larger.

  "We're nearing the West Indies," observed Mr. Wallace jubilantly."That large island away over there is probably Abaco."

  As they neared the land, Karl dropped to perhaps a thousand feet. Fromthis altitude they could command a good view of the country belowthem. It was for the most part wild and uninhabited. There was a greatdeal of fog hovering about, or they could have seen many more islands.

  They were nearing the tropics, as evidenced by the mercury rising inthe thermometer. As they were traveling evenly, it was safe to openthe windows. The resulting gush of wind was at once greatlyappreciated.

  "We'll have about three hundred and seventy-five miles of travelingbefore we reach Cuba," announced Karl, as they passed over a largecluster of islands. "Maybe we'd better land there, at least for a fewminutes. It'll give the 'plane a chance to cool off, and then, too, wecan look it over."

  It was three hours later that Bob caught sight of what appeared to bea long black line stretching out of sight to their left. That linegradually took shape and color, and the explorers found themselvesnearing Cuba.

  On the side nearest them was a large mountain, with a cone-like topthat gave it the appearance of a volcano.

  Within sight of this peak, Karl picked out a level stretch of groundand sent the monoplane downward. He found it necessary to make aspiral landing, as there was danger of otherwise striking a line oflow, sharp peaks.

  Bob and Joe watched closely as the ground came up to meet them. Thenthey felt the wheels bump, and they knew they were safe.

  "All out!" called Karl, appearing at the cabin door. "That is, if youwant to rest your legs."

  The others needed no urging. They climbed stiffly out of the 'planeand stretched freely. While they had not been cramped, they hadnevertheless not been allowed the freedom of violent exercise.

  "So this is Cuba," observed Joe, yawning and looking at the greenjungle, which seemed everywhere about them.

  "Not much to be seen in this part of the island," Mr. Wallace toldthem. "We're at the extreme eastern end."

  They looked around a bit, though, to satisfy their curiosity.

  When they finally returned to the 'plane, after taking a tramp towardthe high peak, the explorers were ready to devour anything in the wayof food.

  Sandwiches and iced tea, the latter having been kept cold in a thermosjug, served as a meal, and proved to be very satisfying to the hungryexplorers.

  Then, after taking a short rest in the shade of the monoplane, theyprepared to resume the journey.

  "Now comes the worst part," said Karl, with a frown. "We'll have tofly for over five hundred miles without seeing a trace of an island.The Caribbean Sea may prove treacherous for tropical storms, too."

  Luck was with them the first half of their trip. The sky remainedclear and light, not giving the slightest indication of a change ofweather.

  Then suddenly, when the travelers' hopes were high, they noticed thatthe sky was becoming dark and threatening. A fierce wind was blowingwith a dangerous velocity, which threatened to send the monoplane offits course.

  Karl guided the machine off to the west, in the hope of passing beyondthe storm area. He speeded up to over a hundred and fifty miles anhour, for he knew that whatever he did must be done quickly.

  But try as he did, he could not escape the heavy clouds and terriblewind.

  His hope almost gone, he sent the ship to a much higher altitude,thinking it might be possible to get above the clouds.

  But it was too late. With a rush and a roar, the tropical hurricanewas upon them.