But now the darky began to come out of his faint.
The blow upon the skull1 had inflicted2 no serious wound, and he must be all right again shortly. But for a time he was sick and dizzy.
Frank and Barney found him and gave him some stimulants3. He very quickly recuperated4.
Then he remembered his experience with Bowler5 on the deck. He felt somewhat crestfallen6.
But Frank said:
“It’s all right, Pomp; you meant well, but the fellow was treacherous7. Next time don’t get caught.”
“Yo’ kin8 jes’ bet on dat!” cried the darky. “I won’t trust nobody aftah dis.”
It is needless to say that the aerial voyagers were delighted with the result of the affair. Their deliverance was due to Frank’s shrewdness and marvelous ingenuity9.
The two prisoners were confined in the after cabin. But it was now a question as to what it was best to do with them.
“Suppose we go down and talk with their companions!” said Nicodemus; “perhaps they will make up their minds to behave themselves and let us alone after this!”
“Very well,” agreed Frank. “We will try that.”
So down sank the air-ship. The gold seekers were seen grouped below in a state of much excitement.
Frank went to the rail and opened a parley10 with them.
“We have your two leaders, Dooley and Bowler, as prisoners!” declared the young inventor. “We want to know if you are going to play any more treacherous games upon
The gold seekers were evidently astonished at the turning of tables in so unexpected a manner.”
But finally they came to Frank’s terms and made fervid11 vows12 never to trouble the air-ship or its party again.
Their spokesman said:
“To tell ther truth, mister, we don’t believe in ther story of ther hidden gold an’ we’re sick of the whole thing. We’re goin’ back to Para.”
“Very good!” said Frank. “I will set your leaders free upon that condition.”
Then he went into the cabin and talked with Dooley and Bowler. They readily agreed to Frank’s terms.
“I shall follow you as far as the shore of the lake,” declared the young inventor; “if you dare to return I will drop dynamite13 bombs upon you and destroy you.”
Dooley was satisfied.
He saw that it was of no use to attempt to cope with the voyagers. Moreover, he had lost faith in the existence of the treasure.
He was in fact sick of the whole job and decided14 to return to America at the first chance. So he said:
“I’ll do as you say. I’m quits on this thing. It’s an accursed country, anyway.”
A short while later the two villains16 returned to their companions. They at once started for the shore of the lake.
Frank decided not to accompany them, for he saw that Dooley was in earnest.
As the villain15 dropped from the air-ship, Frank said:
“As an extra incentive17, I will promise this, in spite of your bad treatment of us. If we find the gold I will overtake you and give you a fair division.”
Dooley hung his head and muttered abashed18 thanks. Then he and his party were off.
The aerial voyagers continued the quest for the gold. All that day they explored the sandy basin.
Toward night a find was made.
A number of human bones were mixed up with several hundred ingots of the yellow stuff. It was taken aboard the air-ship.
Frank estimated its value.
“There is about thirty thousand dollars in the pile,” he said, “there are twelve in Dooley’s party and four in ours. That will make about two thousand each on a fair division.”
“They are not entitled to any of it,” snapped Nicodemus.
“Perhaps not,” said Frank, “but we have banished19 them from the search and therefore ought to divide. At any rate I have promised it.”
“Oh, I don’t kick,” said the captain, cheerfully; “I am satisfied. It was not the gold I cared for so much as to solve the mystery of this lake.”
“And that we are now at liberty to do,” said Frank; “we will first overtake Dooley and his men and divide. Then we will do a little exploring.”
With this decision none found fault. So Frank took his leave of the treasure basin.
The gold seekers were overtaken on the shore of the lake. They were astonished at Frank’s generous announcement.
And when the gold was turned over to them Dooley wrung20 Frank’s hand and said:
“You’re the only square man I ever met in my life. I like your style. I’m going ter turn over a new leaf an’ do better.”
Then Dooley and his men set out to the eastward21 for the head waters of the Paraguay where they had boats. None of the aerial voyagers ever saw them again.
But one thing more now remained to be done to complete the success of the trip.
This was to find the source of the Transient Lake and if possible discover an explanation of its curious appearance and disappearance22.
For full one hundred of the two hundred miles of its width the air-ship sailed over the lake. They were now very near the centre.
And here a mighty23 circular bowl-shaped basin was seen. It had curious galleries leading down into the earth.
These were cut out of the solid rock. This basin covered hundreds of acres. The air-ship was here brought to a stop.
“Here,” said Frank, positively24, “this is the outlet25 of the lake, if anywhere.”
Nicodemus gave the place a critical glance. Then he said succinctly26:
“Skipper, you’re right!”
And as fate had it, while they were watching the curious basin, a strange sound began to arise from it.
It was a dull, distant, hollow booming, and then suddenly little channels of water began to appear in the rock galleries.
“Begorra, it’s afther comin’!” cried Barney.
With interest the aerial voyagers watched the phenomenon.
Suddenly from an orifice in the centre of the basin there shot up to the height of fifty feet a great column of water.
Then in an incredibly short space of time from all the galleries there rushed forth27 great seething28 volumes, swift as the rush of Niagara.
And once full, the great basin overflowed29 in a second, sending a mighty tidal wave across the country at race-horse speed.
Small wonder that the ship’s crew had been overtaken and overwhelmed. Nothing could have outstripped30 that line of swiftly rolling water.
On all the wide earth Frank and his companions thought there could be no phenomenon to equal this.
It was without parallel. Within the incredible space of an hour the Transient Lake, tranquil31 and placid32, was once more restored to its basin.
The air-ship hung silently over it. Birds shot across its surface, and small fish played in its limpid33 depths.
Above, the sky was calm and serene34. A fierce tropical heat beat down upon all.
Captain Nicodemus turned to Frank.
“Well, skipper,” he said. “What do you think of it?”
Frank drew a deep breath.
“It is a wonderful freak of mighty nature,” he said. “I am satisfied. Let us go home!”
“Home!”
It was a magic word just now. The aerial voyagers had accomplished35 their project, and had explored the Transient Lake.
They had yet a mighty distance to travel, and after all there is no place like home.
So Frank turned the course of the air-ship eastward.
A farewell look was taken at the mysterious country and its Transient Lake.
Then the air-ship sailed away.
It is a long journey from the Andes to the Atlantic.
It seemed an eternity36 of jungle, stream, and forest of hideous37 marsh38 and barren plain ere the tossing waters of the stormy ocean were seen.
Then a course was shaped northward39 along the coast.
Stops were made briefly40 at Santos and Rio Janeiro. Then the South American coast was left behind.
On sailed the air-ship over the West India Islands toward the coast of Florida.
“Begorra, there’s no place loike the United States afther all,” declared Barney, “savin’ mebbe ould Oireland.”
“Huh!” exclaimed Pomp; “yo’ allus hab to place dat lily bit of an island befo’ eberyfing else.”
“Bejabers, an’ phwy shouldn’t I?” asked Barney, sharply; “ain’t it the truth, to be shure?”
“If dey grow such tings as yo’ dar, wild, I kain’t say I fink it am anyfing but a berry lily green spot on de face ob de yairth,” averred41 Pomp, solemnly.
Barney was tired in a moment. He saw the fun lurking42 in the corners of Pomp’s eyes.
He was all ready for a ruction and this assertion touched him off.
“So yez think it is only a little grand spot, eh?” asked the Celt, rolling up his sleeves. “Well, grane is not hurtful to the eyes, I’ve heard tell, loike the black yez get in Afriky.”
“Wha’ yo’ know ’bout Afriky?” exclaimed Pomp.
“What do yez know about Oireland?” spluttered Barney.
“All I knows ’bout it is jest wha’ yo’ hab tole me, an’ dat am enuff,” sniffed43 Pomp. “Wha’ yo’ got yo’ sleeves rolled up fo’?”
“Begorra, I don’t allow any mon to insult me or me native land,” said the Celt, hitching44 up his trousers; “here’s phwat backs me up.”
He shook a fist in Pomp’s face. The darky dodged45, and the Celt made a biff at him. Then they closed in an exciting encounter. Long and hard it was, but as it would have been impossible to injure either one of their tough skins and hardy46 frames by any dint47 of such pounding and wrestling, they finally emerged from the encounter hardly the worse for it.
But the honor of each was satisfied, and their mania48 for wrestling as well.
In due course of time the Gulf49 of Mexico was crossed, and one day Captain Nicodemus sighted Key West.
The voyagers could not refrain from a jolly cheer at the sight of their native land.
Soon the air-ship was sailing over the great swamps of Okeechobee, and then swept over the great orange groves50 and plantations51 of the sandy state. Georgia, South and North Carolina followed.
Along the Atlantic coast the voyagers journeyed until finally the mouth of the Chesapeake came into view, and later the Potomac. Then they hung over the Capitol city and steered52 west for Readestown.
The great journey was ended.
The Transient Lake and the mysterious country had been visited and were now history in the minds of the aerial voyagers. They had also brought home some of the gold.
All were satisfied and this was enough. Captain Nicodemus embraced Frank gratefully for this, his last voyage. Then he returned to his home.
Frank Reade, Jr., Barney and Pomp are yet in Readestown. The young inventor is studying up new things which we may hear from at some future day.
The End
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1
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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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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3
stimulants
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| n.兴奋剂( stimulant的名词复数 )；含兴奋剂的饮料；刺激物；激励物 | |
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recuperated
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| v.恢复（健康、体力等），复原( recuperate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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5
bowler
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| n.打保龄球的人，（板球的）投（球）手 | |
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6
crestfallen
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| adj. 挫败的，失望的，沮丧的 | |
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7
treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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8
kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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9
ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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10
parley
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| n.谈判 | |
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11
fervid
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| adj.热情的；炽热的 | |
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12
vows
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| 誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿 | |
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13
dynamite
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| n./vt.(用)炸药(爆破) | |
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14
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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15
villain
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| n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因 | |
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16
villains
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| n.恶棍( villain的名词复数 )；罪犯；（小说、戏剧等中的）反面人物；淘气鬼 | |
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17
incentive
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| n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机 | |
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18
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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19
banished
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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20
wrung
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| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） | |
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21
eastward
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| adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部 | |
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22
disappearance
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| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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23
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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24
positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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25
outlet
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| n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄 | |
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26
succinctly
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| adv.简洁地；简洁地，简便地 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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seething
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| 沸腾的，火热的 | |
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29
overflowed
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| 溢出的 | |
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30
outstripped
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| v.做得比…更好，（在赛跑等中）超过( outstrip的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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31
tranquil
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| adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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32
placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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33
limpid
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| adj.清澈的，透明的 | |
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34
serene
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| adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的 | |
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35
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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36
eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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37
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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38
marsh
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| n.沼泽，湿地 | |
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39
northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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40
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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41
averred
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| v.断言( aver的过去式和过去分词 )；证实；证明…属实；作为事实提出 | |
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42
lurking
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| 潜在 | |
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43
sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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44
hitching
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| 搭乘； （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的现在分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上 | |
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45
dodged
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| v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避 | |
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46
hardy
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| adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的 | |
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47
dint
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| n.由于，靠；凹坑 | |
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48
mania
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| n.疯狂；躁狂症，狂热，癖好 | |
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49
gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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50
groves
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| 树丛，小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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51
plantations
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| n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 ) | |
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52
steered
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| v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导 | |
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