Chapter 15
Fired Upon
Tom's excited call to the aeronaut, telling of the mishap to Mr. Damon,was answered immediately. Mr. Sharp jumped forward from the motorcompartment, and, passing on his way the electric switch, he yanked itout, stopping the machinery, and the great propellers. Then he leapedout on the platform.
But something else happened. Just before the accident to the eccentricman, desiring to give a further test to the planes, the gas had beenshut off, making the airship an aeroplane instead of a dirigibleballoon. Consequently, as soon as the forward motion ceased the greatship began falling.
"We're sinking! We're sinking!" cried Tom, forgetting for a moment thathe was not in his motor-boat.
"Slant your rudder up, and glide downward as slowly as you can!"directed Mr. Sharp. "I'll start the engine again as soon as I rescuehim," for it was risky to venture out on the platform with thepropeller whirring, as the dangling piece of scarf might whip aroundthe balloonist and toss him off.
Mr. Sharp was soon at Mr. Damon's side. He saw that the man wasunconscious, whether from fright or some injury could not then bedetermined. There was, however, no sign of a wound.
It was no easy task to carry, half dragging it, the heavy body of Mr.Damon off the platform, but the aeronaut was a muscular individual, andlong hanging from a trapeze, at great heights, stood him in good stead.
He brought the unconscious man into the cabin, and then, quicklyreturning to the platform, he detached the piece of scarf from thepropeller blade. Next he started the motor, and also turned on the gastank, so that the airship, in a few minutes, could float in spacewithout motion.
"You needn't steer now, Tom," said the balloonist. "Just give me a handhere."
"Is--is he dead?" inquired the lad, his voice faltering.
"No, his heart's beating. I can't understand what happened."
Mr. Sharp was something of a rough and ready surgeon and doctor, and asmall box of medicines had been brought along in case of emergencies.With the Red Cloud now lazily floating in the air, for, once thefalling motion had been checked by the engine, the motor had beenstopped again, Mr. Sharp set about restoring Mr. Damon to consciousness.
It was not long before the man opened his eyes. The color that had lefthis cheeks came back, and, after a drink of cold water he was able tosit up.
"Did I fall?" he asked. "Bless my very existence, but did I tumble offthe airship?"
"No indeed," replied Tom, "though you came pretty near it. How do youfeel? Were you hurt?"
"Oh, I'm all right now--just a trifle dizzy. But I thought sure I was agoner when I fell over the platform railing," and Mr. Damon could notrepress a shudder. Mr. Sharp administered some more medicine and hispatient was soon able to stand, and move about.
"How did it happen?" inquired the balloonist.
"I hardly know," answered Mr. Damon. "I was out on the platform,looking at the view, and thinking how much better my neuralgia was,with the scarf on. Suddenly the wind whipped loose one end of thescarf, and, before I knew it the cloth had caught on the propellerblade. I was blown, or drawn to one side, tossed against the railing,which I managed to grab, and then I lost my senses. It's a good thing Iwasn't whirled around the propeller."
"It's a good thing you weren't tossed down to the earth," commentedTom, shivering as he thought of his friend's narrow escape.
"I became unconscious, partly because the wind was knocked from me as Ihit the platform railing," went on Mr. Damon, "and partly from fright,I think. But I'm all right now, and I'm not going out on that platformagain with a loose scarf on."
"I wouldn't go out at all again, if I were you, though, of course, I'mused to dizzy heights," spoke Mr. Sharp.
"Oh, I'm not so easily frightened," declared Mr. Damon. "If I'm goingto be a balloonist, or an aeroplanist I've got to get used to certainthings. I'm all right now," and the plucky man was, for the blow to hisside did not amount to much. It was some time, however, before Tom gotover the fright his friend had caused him.
They spent that night moving slowly south, and in the morning foundthey had covered about a hundred miles, not having run the ship toanything like its maximum speed. Breakfast was served above the clouds,for a change, Mr. Damon finding that he could stand the great heightwith comfort.
It was three days after the start, and the travelers were proceedingslowly along. They were totally unaware, of course, of the sensationwhich their leaving, conjointly with the bank robbery, had caused, notonly in Shopton but in other places.
"We're over a good-sized city," announced Tom, on the noon of the thirdday. "Suppose we drop down, and leave some message? Dad will be anxiousto hear from us."
"Good idea," commented Mr. Sharp. "Down it is. Shift the rudder."
Tom proceeded to do so, and, while Mr. Damon relieved him at the wheelthe young inventor prepared a message to his father. It was placed in aweighted envelope, together with a sum of money, and the person pickingit up was requested to send the letter as a telegram, retaining somemoney for his trouble.
As the ship got lower and lower over the city the usual crowds could beseen congregating in the streets, pointing and gazing upward.
"We're creating quite a stir," observed Tom.
"More than usual, it seems," added Mr. Sharp, peering down. "I declare,there seems to be a police parade under way."
"That's right," put in Mr. Damon, for, looking down, a squad ofuniformed officers, some on horseback, could be seen hurrying along themain street, trying to keep pace with the airship, which was movingslowly.
"They're looking at us through telescopes," called Tom. "Guess theynever saw a balloon down this way."
Nearer and nearer to the city dropped the Red Cloud. Tom was about tolet go the weighted envelope, when, from the midst of the police cameseveral puffs of white smoke. It was followed by vicious, zippingsounds about the cabin of the ship, the windows of which were open.Then came the reports of several rifles.
"They're firing at us!" yelled Tom.
"So they are!" cried Mr. Sharp. "They must be crazy! Can't they seethat we're not a bird."
"Maybe they take us for a war balloon," suggested Mr. Damon.
Another volley was directed at the airship, and several bullets struckthe big aluminum gas holder glancing blows.
"Here! Quit that!" yelled Tom, leaning out of the window. "Are youcrazy? You'll damage us!"
"They can't hear you," called Mr. Sharp.
A third volley was fired, and this time several persons other thanpolice officers seemed to be shooting at the airship. Revolvers as wellas rifles were being used.
"We're got to get out of this!" shouted Mr. Sharp, as a bullet sanguncomfortably close to his head. "I can't imagine what's gotten intothe people. Send her up, Tom!"
The lad quickly shifted the elevation rudder, and the Red Cloud sailedmajestically aloft. The young inventor had not dropped his message,concluding that citizens who would fire on travelers of the air for noreason, would not be likely to accommodate them in the matter ofsending messages.
The craft mounted rapidly upward, but before it was beyond rifle shotanother volley was fired, one bullet sending some splinters flying fromthe wooden framework.
"Whew! That was a narrow escape!" exclaimed Mr. Sharp. "What in theworld can those people be up to, anyhow?"
Tom Swift and His Airship Page 15