A DARING FEAT
As sun-set turned the wind down canyon, all hands made a sally down the mountain side in the hope of establishing a line of back-fire, but the ground soon became too hot for them, while the air was filled chokingly with ash and char-dust. They had to retreat to the ridge. It was a night never to be forgotten.
When the wind turned at dawn,—with their line still intact,—the exhausted party took turn and turn about, snatching a few hours’ sleep, wrapped in their blankets on the rocks, or making coffee.
Ace had forgotten all about his wireless message when, shortly after noon, his own ship arrived. It had had a search for him, and had landed, apparently, on the very ledge of basalt where the DeHaviland had picked them up.
The beauty of the Spanish ship was that it was built to land on a space no bigger than a house roof. It carried two propellers at the top. The pilot had only to start these and it sucked itself straight up into the air. Then he twirled the propeller on the front and sailed away, as easily as you please.
He landed by reversing these operations. He could alight on a shed roof if he had to, (provided, of course, that the roof was flat). The only danger would be if the propellers should go on strike.
“I’ve been getting a wireless message,” said the pilot. “There! Better take it, Mr. King,” to Ace.
Ace’s eyes grew dark as he interpreted the frantic ticking that his apparatus gave him. “Why—Rosa’s sending this!—She’s marooned—there at the Red Top fire-outlook!—‘Fire on three sides, on fourth, rapids of Kawa River Gorge. Send help—if you can,’” he translated, while the boys waited, breathless. “Three men where first-fire started—silver buttons—shining in the sun.”
“That sounds like Mexicans!” said Pedro.
“Now what?” asked Norris. “Where’s the Ranger, do you suppose?” But just then he saw a flaming branch blown across their line. Like tinder the dried firs burst into a shower of sparks, and with a call to the men, he darted after it. Ace remained behind to wireless, and Ted to quench their cook-fire, while Ace’s pilot flung off his coat and ran after the fire fighters.