CHAPTER IV. THE FIGHT WITH THE PUMA.

The air-ship was falling.

For a moment horror was upon all in the little party. It was a terrible realization, for below, thousands of feet, they might be dashed to atoms upon jagged ledges.

A powerful missile had fallen from the cloud and struck full and fair in the air-ship’s bow. The shock had thrown open the pilot-house door.

The helices had ceased to revolve but slowly and the air-ship was floating downward with speed. For one awful second the aerial voyagers knew not what move to make.

Then Frank Reade, Jr., acted.

Quick as a flash he sprang into the pilot-house. Barney, who was at the wheel, had been knocked half senseless to the deck.

One glance told Frank the truth. The shock of the falling missile had caused the helix lever to fly shut and had shut off the electric current. This had checked the speed of the helices and allowed the air-ship to fall.

With one leap Frank reached the keyboard.

He turned the lever swiftly and to his horror found that it was bent. However, the downward speed of the ship was materially checked.

The next moment there was a shock and she rested upon the ground. Then Frank shut off the current entirely.

He sprang out of the pilot-house and glanced about to see that they were resting safely upon a broad expanse of ledge on the mountain side.

Below them sloped the mountain for miles into green valleys. The danger was over.

“Be me sowl!” gasped Barney, as he crawled to his feet; “phwat the divil was it that was afther hitting me? Shure it med me dizzy the while.”

“Hang me high!” roared Nicodemus, “I thought our bones were spoiled for that! How did we escape?”

“It was a close call,” said Frank.

“Golly! Wha’ was dat struck us?” interrogated Pomp.

“We’ll find out!” said Frank, as he advanced to the bow.

And there the cause of the mischief was found. This was in the shape of a huge fragment of volcanic rock which had cut its way half through the deck plates, and was so firmly imbedded that it required great strength to dislodge it.

This was only one of the score or more aerolites which had fallen from the sky.

That they might have been hurled aloft from the distant volcano there was a strong likelihood. That no worse damage was done was fortunate.

The air-ship rested safely enough upon the ledge of rock. Frank proceeded at once to repair the injury.

While he was working at the keyboard, Nicodemus and Barney bethought themselves that it was a good opportunity for an exploring tour over the ledges.

So they took their rifles and climbed over the rail. They had descended to an altitude now where the air was not so rare, or there was little danger of the deadly mountain sickness.

They had spied some mountain goats and the captain was anxious to get a shot at them.

So they proceeded some distance down the mountain side until the air-ship was lost to sight. The view at this point was very grand.

Far below there were great slopes of green, alternating with shelving rock. In the vista beyond a mighty green valley extended to the base of other mountains seventy or eighty miles away.

Such scenery could hardly be eclipsed anywhere else in the world. The two men could not help but gaze upon it with wonderment.

“Be me sowl,” averred Barney, “it’s a long way down there.”

“That is true,” agreed Nicodemus. “I wouldn’t care to walk it. But—hello! what is that?”

The captain came to a sudden halt, and raised his gun with one finger ready on the trigger.

There was good cause for this. Along the mountain wall there was creeping toward them a huge black form flattened against the ledges.

It required but a glance for the captain to recognize the deadly foe of the South American traveler, the puma, or mountain lion.

The creature was bent upon attacking them, as could be readily seen. It was a moment of peril.

“Separate!” said the captain sharply, moving to the right. “Keep your eyes open, Barney!”

“All roight, sor!”

This movement seemed for a moment to disconcert the puma. It seemed in a quandary as to what direction to take.

Finally it moved toward Barney. The Celt got behind a bowlder.

He held his rifle ready for use, and his shock of red hair stood literally on end.

“Be me sowl!” he muttered, “av the vilyun gets his clutches on me, shure it’s lost I am! I’m afther thinkin’ I’ll niver give him that chance.”

Captain Nicodemus, meanwhile, had been getting a line on the beast.

“Steady, Barney!” he cried. “I’ll give him a shot. If he turns for me you give him another!”

“All roight, sor!”

Nicodemus drew straight and careful aim. Then he pulled the trigger.

Crack!

Where the bullet struck the puma it was not easy to say. But the animal gave a quick snarling cry and wheeled about.

He raised himself a trifle from the ground. It was Barney’s chance.

“Bad cess to ye!” he muttered, and drew quick aim.

Crack!

Another bullet struck the puma. But the animal had already made its spring. Straight for the covert of its human foe it shot.

Captain Nicodemus saw that his life hung in the balance. He did not shirk the responsibility.

It was a momentous occasion.

He raised himself and took cool and steady aim. If his bullet hit the mark he would stop the beast. If not—then the worst might happen.

It was a moment of brief suspense. All his nerves were on the qui vive. Then he fired.

Crack-ack!

Two reports blended in one, for Barney fired at the same moment. One moment the puma was in mid-air, then fell, turning a dozen somersaults.

When it ceased its terrific death struggle the two hunters ventured to approach it. A more ferocious beast could not be imagined.

“Egad!” exclaimed Nicodemus, as he placed fresh cartridges in his rifle, “the beast gave us quite a tussle. We’re in high luck!”

“Begorra, I believe yez, sor!” agreed Barney. “I niver was more skeered in me loife. One moment I thought it was me the omadhoun was after, then I thought it was yesilf.”

The captain laughed and kicked the body of the dead lion.

“I’ve half a mind to take his skin!” he said, “but I don’t believe it would pay. On my word, I think I see a mountain antelope yonder. Let us try for him!”

Both hunters started to creep up the mountain side. Upon a distant spur of rock, sure enough, there stood a goat.

Nearer they crept. It was necessary to proceed with the greatest caution. These mountain goats were shrewd and exceedingly wary.

But it did not spy its human foes, however, until they were within gunshot. Then both fired.

One or more of the bullets hit the mark, for the goat gave a spring in the air and fell.

It came sliding and rolling down the mountain side, and fell almost at the feet of the hunters. In a moment its carcass was secured.

Nicodemus was well satisfied.

The object of the expedition had been accomplished, and he did not care to go further. The goat was slung over his shoulders, and he proposed to return to the air-ship.

This, however, was speedily discovered to be not such an easy matter. They had wandered far and somehow lost their bearings.

The region had all a peculiar sameness. It was some while before Barney was able to decide the direction from which they had come.

But the points of the compass were finally settled, and they set out upon the return. But though they journeyed on for an hour, no sign of the air-ship was seen.

Finally they were brought to a halt by a deep chasm, with sides too precipitous to descend. Here they were forced to come to a dismayed halt.

“By whales!” exclaimed Nicodemus Beere, “here’s a pretty how d’ye do! Where are we, Barney? Do ye know?”

“Be me sowl, it’s sthuck I am intoirely,” replied the Celt. “Shure, I thought we was going roight all the while.”

“Well, it’s plain that we were not,” replied the captain. “We must make a back course or we’ll be lost.”

“On me wurrud I belave it’s lost we are already,” declared Barney. “Shure, I don’t know phwere I am.”

Captain Nicodemus was in a most uncomfortable frame of mind. He stormed up and down the ledges excitedly.

“This is a fine mess!” he scolded. “What is going to be the result? Darkness is coming on, and we will have to spend the night here. We will stand a chance of being eaten up by wild beasts.”

“Och hone!” gasped Barney, “do yez mean that, sor! It’s bad luck fer us, to be shure.”

Once again they set out along the mountain side.

But again their quest was in vain. Each forgot that they had ascended the mountain some distance in quest of goats and that the air-ship consequently must be just below them.

Nightfall was coming on rapidly. Finally they abandoned all idea of finding the air-ship. It was decided that they must spend the night there.

So they fell hastily to collecting fagots to make a fire.

Soon they had a large pile of them ready to light. They knew that fire would keep wild beasts at bay, and this was their safeguard.

Under the shadow of a huge ledge they made their camp and waited for daylight to come again. There was no sleep for either that night. They could only wait the dawn.