Indeed, at the instant that Dick, who had hidden in the machine without any idea that immediate2 flight was to be undertaken, made himself known, peril3 loomed4 swiftly and ominously5 before them.
As they swooped6 downward, like a giant fishhawk diving after its finny prey7, there was a sudden shout of alarm from Tom. The great airbag swung to one side, dragging the carriage of the flying machine with it in a dizzying swerve8.
“Look out!” shouted Tom excitedly.
There was no need to ask him the cause of his sudden alarm. The Wondership, yawing before a sharp flaw of wind which came too suddenly for Jack9 to counter it, was being driven straight for one of the slender, sharp-topped masts of the yacht.
“Keep her off!” shouted Mr. Chadwick, half rising, “we’ll rip the bag open if you don’t look out.”
Jack’s lips set grimly, determinedly10. With a swift motion of his hand he applied11 power. The propeller12 began to whirl, forcing the wind-driven craft away from the peril of the mast. Dick Donovan, in frank terror, shouted aloud.
“Gracious! We’ll strike!” was the cry forced from Tom’s lips.
The next instant, despite Jack’s prompt action, the Wondership, deliriously13 sagging14 and swaying, crashed against the tip of the yacht’s after mast.
Ri-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-p!
The steel tipped weather-vane that was fixed15 on the top of the spar had penetrated16 the midship section of the bag and inflicted17 a bad tear in it before Jack had had time to hold the big craft off. The propeller had been set in motion an instant too late. With a vicious hissing18 sound the gas rushed from the rent as the Wondership, the mischief19 done, careened drunkenly away from the mast that had inflicted the wound.
There was a sudden, appalling20 dash downward. A stone from a roof could not have fallen much faster. Amidst a shout of alarm from the yacht’s decks, which was echoed by those on the Wondership, she struck the sea with a force that sent spray and foam21 half way as high as the vessel’s mast heads.
In the dreadful moment that succeeded, it seemed as if the craft must go crashing down to the very floor of the ocean. But a fraction of a second later those on board both Wondership and yacht knew that this was not to be the case.
Having struck the water, the hollow hydroplanes and the water-tight body of the craft fulfilled their purposes right nobly. Buoyed22 on the crest23 of a big swell24, the Wondership floated, and the next instant, amidst a cheer of more than ordinary fervor25, Jack started her for the yacht’s side.
“Hurrah! She floats!” yelled Tom.
“By the galumping galleons26 of Gaul, she does that!” agreed Dick Donovan, against whose pale face the freckles27 stood out like spots on the sun.
“But will she move?” cried Mr. Chadwick, as the propeller began to churn the water.
“We’ll soon see,” answered Jack over his shoulder.
As the blades bit into the water the Wondership was drawn28 forward, slowly at first and then, gathering29 speed as she crossed the space intervening between herself and the yacht’s side, the Wondership was seen to adapt herself to the water as well as she had to the earth or the air. A moment later, skillfully manipulating his rudder, Jack brought the strange craft alongside the yacht’s lowered companionway with as much skill as any veteran mariner30 making a familiar landing.
To reach the gangway from the spot at which the Wondership had struck the water, they had to pass her stern. On the graceful31, narrow counter of the craft was much gilt32 scroll-work and ornamentation. Amidst all this “flummery,” as sailors call it, they made out a name and hailing port.
“Valkyrie-of-Bremen,” was what they read.
As his eyes encountered the name, Mr. Chadwick gave a gasp33.
“Why,—why! This is most extraordinary!” he cried in frank amazement34. “This is the very yacht from which my wireless35 message was relayed from Sciuticut!”
“They must have been trying to make for the mouth of the Nestorville River when whatever is the matter on board, came up,” commented Jack.
But by this time they were at the gangway and conversation ceased for the time being. They could see several heads poked36 over the side, eying them curiously37. As they came alongside, a stockily built man with a bristling38 straw-colored moustache descended39 the gangway stairs.
He wore a blue coat with brass40 buttons and appeared to be in authority.
“What’s the trouble?” demanded Jack eagerly, as the man came nearer.
“Good. You saw our signal for aid, then?” he said with an odd sort of hesitation41. “You come near wrecking42 that contraption, just the same,” he added. “What kind of a craft is it?”
“Never mind that now,” exclaimed Mr. Chadwick impatiently. “The question is, do you need help? Are you aground, or what?”
“No, it ain’t that exactly,” said the man slowly; “it’s trouble of another sort.”
“Is this Professor Von Dinkelspeil’s yacht?” asked Jack quickly.
“Sure. Yes, it’s his yacht, all right,” was the odd reply.
“Is the Professor on board?” asked Mr. Chadwick. “He’s a friend of mine, and if he is in any difficulty we shall be glad to do anything in our power to help him out.”
Again the man hesitated. While they had been flinging questions at him he had been joined by another man, a rough looking specimen43, clad in a semi-nautical costume. He now turned to this man and they whispered together for an instant. Then the bristly-moustached man turned to our party.
“The Professor is on board,” he said, “but I don’t know if you can see him.”
“Why not?” demanded Mr. Chadwick crisply, with rising irritation44. “You signalled us for aid, we came out here at considerable risk and, in fact, have seriously damaged our craft. If the Professor is on board, I think he owes us an explanation.”
Once more there was a whispered conversation.
“There’s something extremely odd about all this,” said Mr. Chadwick to Jack in an undertone. “I can’t understand it at all. I——”
“The fact is,” broke in the bristly-moustached man, “the Professor has met with an accident. But perhaps you had better come on board and see him for yourselves.”
“I guess that would be the best plan,” said Mr. Chadwick. “Boys, you wait here. I’ll be back before long.”
“I don’t half like the look of this,” muttered Jack. “There’s something here that isn’t all right. Let me go with you.”
“No, my boy. You stay where you are. I’ll be back before long. I can’t imagine what can be the matter; but whatever it is, I can take good care of myself.”
With these words Mr. Chadwick sprang to the platform of the gangway, and under the guidance of the two men he made his way up the steps. An instant later he was gone from view.
The boys exchanged glances.
“Well,” blurted45 out Tom, “if this doesn’t beat the band! These fellows waste powder enough for a Fourth of July celebration to summon aid, and when it comes they don’t appear to know whether they want it or not.”
“Looks mighty46 fishy,” admitted Jack. “I wish Dad had let me go with him. But see here, Tom, we’re forgetting all about our stowaway. Say, who are you, anyhow?” he demanded, turning to Dick Donovan and scrutinizing47 him sharply. Dick looked considerably48 abashed49.
“I guess it’s up to me to make explanations,” he said. “My name is Dick Donovan. I’m a reporter. I was told to run down the ‘Mystery of the Skies’ or get fired. I sneaked50 into your shed when you went out to take a look at this yacht, and then when you came back unexpectedly while I was snapping your machine, I got rattled52 and hid under the seat. Wow! By the sky-scraping sultans of Syria, but you gave me a royal old scare!”
“That is nothing to what you are going to get if you write a line about all this in your paper,” snapped Tom. “What do you mean by playing the sneak51 about our work-shed and spying on us,—eh? What do you mean by it?”
He doubled up his fists threateningly; but Dick Donovan only smiled.
“Don’t get mad,” he said. “I’ll admit it wasn’t the right thing to do, and you chaps appear to be pretty white and I’m ashamed of myself for spotting you.”
“You ought to be,” growled53 Tom.
“Wait a minute,” put in Jack soothingly54. “Go on,” he remarked to Dick Donovan.
“Oh, well, all I wanted to say was this,” said the reporter, getting very red. “You needn’t be afraid that I’ll write a line about this thing, because I won’t. I can get another job somehow, I guess, and anyhow I’ve had enough experience crammed55 into this last half hour to be able to sit down and write a novel.”
The impulsive56 Tom’s manner changed in a jiffy.
“Say, you’re all right, Donovan,” he exclaimed, “and—and I tell you what, when we get this thing perfected we’ll give you the first news about it,—a scoop57, don’t you call it?”
Dick’s amiable58 face beamed broadly as Jack nodded his assent59 to Tom’s promise.
“Say, that’s bully60 of you!” he cried boyishly, extending his hand. “I don’t want you to think I’m a bounder just because I came peeping and peering about your shack61 back there. I didn’t look at it from your point of view. I——”
He broke off abruptly62. His lower jaw63 remained dropped just as it had been as he was about to continue speaking. At the same instant both the Boy Inventors sprang to their feet.
It was a startling enough interruption that had occurred to cut short Dick Donovan’s contrite64 speech.
From the decks of the Valkyrie there had come the sharp, ringing report of a pistol.
It was followed by shouts and a loud tramping of feet on the planks65 above them. Jack paused a second for thought and then, grabbing up a monkey wrench66 and calling to the others to do the same, he jumped for the companionway.
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1
stowaway
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| n.（藏于轮船，飞机中的）偷乘者 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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ominously
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| adv.恶兆地，不吉利地；预示地 | |
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swooped
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| 俯冲，猛冲( swoop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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swerve
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| v.突然转向，背离；n．转向，弯曲，背离 | |
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9
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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10
determinedly
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| adv.决意地；坚决地，坚定地 | |
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applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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propeller
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| n.螺旋桨，推进器 | |
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deliriously
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| adv.谵妄（性）；发狂；极度兴奋/亢奋；说胡话 | |
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14
sagging
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| 下垂[沉，陷]，松垂，垂度 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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16
penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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17
inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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18
hissing
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| n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
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19
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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20
appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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21
foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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22
buoyed
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| v.使浮起( buoy的过去式和过去分词 )；支持；为…设浮标；振奋…的精神 | |
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23
crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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24
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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fervor
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| n.热诚；热心；炽热 | |
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26
galleons
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| n.大型帆船( galleon的名词复数 ) | |
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27
freckles
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| n.雀斑，斑点( freckle的名词复数 ) | |
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28
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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mariner
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| n.水手号不载人航天探测器，海员，航海者 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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gilt
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| adj.镀金的；n.金边证券 | |
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gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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35
wireless
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| adj.无线的；n.无线电 | |
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36
poked
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| v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交 | |
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37
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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bristling
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| a.竖立的 | |
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39
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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40
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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41
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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42
wrecking
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| 破坏 | |
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43
specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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44
irritation
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| n.激怒，恼怒，生气 | |
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45
blurted
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| v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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46
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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47
scrutinizing
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| v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的现在分词 ) | |
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48
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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49
abashed
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| adj.窘迫的，尴尬的v.使羞愧，使局促，使窘迫( abash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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50
sneaked
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| v.潜行( sneak的过去式和过去分词 )；偷偷溜走；（儿童向成人）打小报告；告状 | |
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51
sneak
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| vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行 | |
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52
rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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53
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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54
soothingly
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| adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地 | |
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55
crammed
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| adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式) | |
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56
impulsive
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| adj.冲动的，刺激的；有推动力的 | |
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57
scoop
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| n.铲子，舀取，独家新闻；v.汲取，舀取，抢先登出 | |
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58
amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
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bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 | |
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61
shack
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| adj.简陋的小屋，窝棚 | |
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62
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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63
jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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64
contrite
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| adj.悔悟了的，后悔的，痛悔的 | |
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65
planks
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| （厚）木板( plank的名词复数 )； 政纲条目，政策要点 | |
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wrench
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| v.猛拧；挣脱；使扭伤；n.扳手；痛苦，难受 | |
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