Boy Scouts in an Airship; Or, The Warning from the Sky

by G. Harvey Ralphson

  CHAPTER II

  A FOX JOINS THE WOLVES

  Nelson hung like a great gull over New Orleans one hot morning inearly August. The boys who occupied seats on the light aluminumform under the sixty-foot wings glimpsed the Gulf of Mexico in thedistance, while directly their feet ran the crooked streets of theFrench Quarter.

  The departure from San Francisco had been for a delayed for a longtime because of the non-arrival of important instructions fromWashington, and because of a slight injury to the aeroplane whileout on what Leroy called an "exercise run." Lieutenant Gates hadremained with the boys until they started on their long flight tothe mouth of the great Mississippi river, and had then returned toWashington.

  I had first been the intention to proceed due from San Francisco,then wing toward the east where the coast of Peru showed. This planwas opposed by the lieutenant, for the reason that an airship farout on the Pacific ocean, directly in the steamship route, would belikely to attract attention sailing over the southwestern states andCentral America. Daring aviators now venture in all directions andat all altitudes above the solid earth, but they are still cautiousabout proceeding far out over the merciless waters of the oceanswhich rim the continent of North America.

  So, yielding to the wishes of the lieutenant, the Nelson had beendirected by her navigators across California, Arizona, New Mexico,Texas and Louisiana until the great city of the South lay spread outbefore them. The distance covered by the airship in this flight wasnot far from thirty-five hundred miles, and the Nelson, leaving thecoast city on Monday morning, August 7, had covered the run so as toreach New Orleans late Wednesday afternoon.

  The boys might, it is true, have speeded up and made the distance inthirty-six hours, or less but they realized the necessity of takinggood care of themselves, and so they had rested in quiet places bothMonday and Tuesday night, landing about midnight and sleeping untillong after daylight. Having provisions with them, they had notfound it necessary to land except when gasoline was obtained atSanta Fe.

  The machine had attracted little attention on the route, for it waspainted a dull gray, and its aluminum motors gave forth littlesound. It was two merits of the machine, which had been invented byyoung Leroy, that it could navigate in a clear sky a mile up withoutbeing observed from below, and could also run to within a shortdistance of the earth without making herself conspicuous by thepopping of her motors. The United States authorities are nowadapting these two qualities to the government airships to be usedin the military service.

  The boys remained in New Orleans until Thursday morning, August 10,and then, with full provision baskets and gasoline tanks, they setout across the Gulf of Mexico. They soon sighted Yucatan, which isreally a province of Mexico, darted over British Honduras, and swungover the forests of Guatemala, the one country in Central Americawhich is never bothered with revolutions.

  When an ambitious person wants to wrest the reins of government fromthe officials in charge, they take him out and stand him up againsta stone wall, with a firing squad in front. This manner ofpreventing revolutions is believed to be conducive to peace and alsoto the sanctity of human lives. Jimmie, who had been reading up onSouth and Central America while waiting in San Francisco, explainedmany points of interest as the Nelson sped on her way.

  They took on more gasoline at Panama, and Ned and Jimmie were veryglad to renew their acquaintance with that now model city. Thosewho have read the former books of this series will remember that theBoy Scouts at one time had a commission to stand guard over thegreat Gatun dam.

  They did not remain long in Panama, however, as they were anxious toget to the scene of their future operations. They were allanticipating great fun in exploring "the roof of the world," whichextends from Colombia to Argentina, north and south, throughEquator, Peru, and Bolivia, more than 2,000 miles, or as far as fromNew York City to Denver. In many directions from this "roof" may beseen villages, cattle, sheep, llamas, and evidences of mining.

  The boys made good progress down the coast of tropical SouthAmerica. They had heard much of Peru, and were surprised to seeonly a great strip of sand, lying like a desert, between the Pacificand the mountains. Now and then a little stream, fed by the meltingsnows in the Andes, comes trailing out toward the sea, but it isusually smaller at its mouth than at its source for the reason thatthe precious water is utilized for irrigation purposes. Whereverthere is water crops grow luxuriantly.

  Thus far they had not been molested in any way. Indeed, consideringthe speed with which they had traveled, it would have been difficultfor any one to have meddled with their plans. They were thereforein excellent spirits when they landed at Lima, which is the onelarge city of the country.

  Lima, however, is not built on the coast, Callao being the seaportof the metropolis. Lima is a modern city in every way, with,handsome streets, electric lights, and all that any modern city hasin the way of amusements.

  The Nelson was anchored on the morning of August 14, in asequestered spot, and the boys, after answering many foolishquestions, laid plans to look over the wonderful city. It wasnecessary to station a strong guard about the machine, for thenatives--many of whom spoke the English language fairly well--wereoverly curious concerning the man-made bird.

  In answer to all questions as to their plans, the lads replied thatthey were seeking the headwaters of the Amazon, and would soon passover the Andes and drift down into Brazil. This was not far fromthe actual truth, as it really was the Intention to return home bythat route after their mission had been accomplished.

  "But the wind is always from the east," was often urged against thisplan, as explained by Jimmie, who lingered about the Nelson whilethe others were at the hotel.

  When it was explained to the doubters that the Nelson was capable ofmaking a hundred miles an hour against a stiff breeze, the nativesseemed to doubt the veracity of the boys. The Peruvians knew littleof airships, and when Jimmie exhibited to them daily newspapersshowing how Germany was building a fleet of three hundred airshipsto use in case of war, they still looked incredulous.

  "Look here, fellers," Jimmie explained to them, later in theafternoon of the arrival, as a group of curious ones stood about theroped-in enclosure where the Nelson lay, "I guess you don't knowmuch about the navigation of the air. It used to be risky; now itis no more so than riding on a railroad train."

  "You say it well!"

  The words were spoken in good English, seemingly in a boy's voice,and Jimmie peered through his audience in order to catch a glimpseof the speaker. Presently, above the heads which surrounded him,the boy saw a hand and arm extended. The palm was out, the thumband little finger flat and crossed, the three remaining fingers heldstraight out. The full salute of the Boy Scouts.

  "Say, you!" the lad cried out, greatly pleased at finding a BoyScout there. "Where did you get that?"

  "Scouted for it!" was the reply.

  "What does it read?"

  "Be prepared!"

  "Where from?" was the next question.

  "Fox Patrol, Chicago."

  "You must be pretty foxy," Jimmie laughed, "to get away off here."

  The member of the Fox Patrol now made his way through the crowd andextended a hand to Jimmie.

  "You don't look as if it paid to be a Fox," laughed the latter.

  The boy certainly did look like a tramp. He was a lad of aboutsixteen, well formed as to figure and attractive as to feature, withbright blue eyes, long, fair hair, and a complexion which would havebeen perfect only for the grime upon it. He blushed as Jimmielooked him over, and involuntarily turned his eyes down to hisragged clothing and broken shoes.

  "Forget that!" Jimmie cried, in a moment. "I didn't mean anythingby it. Where you stopping?"

  The fact was that Jimmie suspected from the appearance of the ladthat he was hungry as well as ragged and dirty. He certainly lookedhungry. The boy hesitated before replying, his hands deep in histrousers pockets, his eyes on the ground. Then a whimsical smilecame to his f
ace and he looked Jimmie squarely in the face.

  "No use of lyin' about it," he said. "I'm stoppin' down here at theBlue Sky Hotel. It's a dandy place to stop at. They never presenta board bill."

  Jimmie sat back on the rope which was drawn about the Nelson to keepmeddlesome ones away from the machine and burst into a roar oflaughter. The crowd looked on stupidly, glancing from boy to boy,and then at one another, as if wondering if these Americans alwayswent crazy when they met in a foreign land.

  "I know that Blue Sky Hotel," Jimmie said, presently, "though I'venever heard it called by that name before. I had a room in one, inCentral Park, New York, until a sparrow cop drove me out of it. Iliked it because I didn't have to dress for dinner there," he added,whimsically.

  "The feed is rather slim," observed the other.

  "It's run on the European plan," grinned Jimmie. "You get yoursleepins, an' no one cares whether you get your eatin's or not.What's your name?"

  "Dougherty--Mike Dougherty, Clark street, south of Van Buren!"

  "I guess you must be French," Jimmie grinned.

  "You've guessed it. Now, what's your name, and what are you boysdoin' here with this old sky-ship?"

  "I'll tell you all about it when we get back to the hotel," Jimmiereplied. "Do you know any of the gazabos about here? I want someone to watch the ginks who are watchin' the mutts who are watchin'the aeroplane."

  Dougherty laughed at this suggestion of a treble surveillance andpointed out a lanky looking individual who was studying the machineclosely from the outer side of the roped-circle.

  "That's Pedro," he said. "He's all right. About all I've had toeat since I came here he's given me. He's a Peruvian Indian, and inneed of money. Give him a dollar, and he'll guard your guards amonth, and never leave the machine, night or day."

  "Does he talk United States?"

  "Oh, just a little."

  Pedro talked quite a little United States, as Jimmie called it, anda bargain was soon struck with him. Then the two boys started awaytogether. First they visited a clothing store, where Jimmie lookedat the best suits in stock, and measured Dougherty cautiously withhis eyes. A full outfit of under and outer clothing provided, theyproceeded to the hotel, where Jimmie ushered his new-found friendinto a commodious bathroom.

  "Remove some of your real estate," the boy said, "an' hop into thesenew clothes. They ain't very nobby, but the best I could get here."

  Mike Dougherty stood looking at Jimmie for a moment as if he couldnot believe what he heard. It had been a long time since he hadbeen clean and properly clothed. Then there came a suspiciousmoisture to his keen eyes and he turned away.

  "Oh, well," he said, with a tremble in his clear young voice, "mebbeI'll be able to pay you back some day. Just now I'm--"

  "Cut it out!" Jimmie replied. "You hain't got anythin' on me. I'vebeen there meself, an' the Boy Scout that helped me out told me topass it along. That's what I'm doin' now, and there's nothin' moreto be said. When you get washed and dressed, come on to No. 4,that's the second room from this tub, on the left of the corridor,an' I'll show you the rest of the bunch."

  Jimmie went away to No. 4, where Ned and Sam Leroy were waiting forhim. Somehow, it seemed to Ned that Jimmie kept him waiting abouthalf the time when they were in a strange city. The little fellowhad a way of wandering off alone and forgetting all about time inhis delight at the strange things he saw. When he entered No. 4 hefound Ned standing near the door.

  "Were you out there before?" Ned asked, pointing to the corridor, asJimmie stepped inside.

  "Just got here," was the reply. "Found a Boy Scout from the FoxPatrol, Chicago, an' brought him along with me. He's washin' someof the Peruvian scenery off his frame, now, an' will soon be along."

  Then Jimmie told of his discovery of Mike Dougherty, of his leavinga treble guard around the Nelson, and of numerous other adventuresin the city, which, not being in any way connected with thisnarrative, are not set down here.

  "I'm glad you brought this boy Mike here," Ned said, at theconclusion of the story. "We need some one who knows somethingabout Lima to keep us posted."

  "About what?" asked Jimmie.

  "We're spotted!" Leroy cried out, before Ned could answer thequestion. "The wireless is swifter than the Nelson!"

  "How do you know?" demanded the little fellow. "How do you knowwe're spotted?"

  "Oh, Ned's been doping it out," was the reply. "He'll tell you, Iguess."

  "You thought you'd take the cream off the sensation!" laughed Ned."Well, that is the boy of it! All I know about it, Jimmie," hecontinued, "is that I've been receiving telegrams which simply meannothing. They are from people I have never heard of, and are mostmysteriously worded."

  "There's one that tells you to get out of the country," suggestedLeroy.

  "Yes, but the others seem to infer that the man who sent them is outof his mind. The three received are from Washington, San Francisco,and New Orleans."

  "What have the messages to do with our being spotted?" asked Jimmie."I don't see any connection."

  "Stupid!" cried Leroy. "Can't you see the wires were sent to locateNed? The person who delivered them to him sure wired back that theyhad been delivered to Ned in person--in other words, that he hasreached Lima on his journey to Paraguay."

  "I see!" Jimmie said, slowly. "It's clever, eh?"

  "Too clever," Ned said. "I don't like the looks of it. It means,of course, that the people who are trying to get the cattleconcession away from Mr. Lyman have secret agents here. And thatmeans that everything we do at Lima will be watched and reported."

  "Reported to whom?" asked Leroy.

  "Probably to this military person, Senor Lopez, who is on the jobwith both hands out," suggested Jimmie. "Well? What about it?"

  "I think," Leroy cut in, "that we'd better be getting out of this.They can't follow us after we get up in the air."

  Here a knock came on the door, and Jimmie admitted Mike andpresented him to his chums. The boy looked trim and handsome in hisnew suit, and all took a great liking to him. While they discussedtheir plans another interruption took place, and then Jimmie sawPedro at the door, beckoning excitedly to Mike Dougherty. The boytalked with the Indian for a short time, and then turned to Ned,excitement showing in his face.

  "He says there's another airship here," Mike said. "Prowling overthe mountains."

  "They can't follow us in the air, eh?" cried Leroy. "I guess thisis going some!"