Realizing that they were now heading into that stretch where they might expect to meet with lofty mountain peaks, and crags, Jack began a steady upward climb, being most desirous of taking no unnecessary chances of crashing against a rock cliff that was hidden from their view by the creeping fog.
It seemed to be a most extraordinary fog, all told, Perk explained to his own satisfaction. Usually when thus compassed around about by a dense sea of vapor, and unable to take any sort of reckoning by means of the heavens above, or the earth beneath, this trouble could be remedied by climbing still further into the region of the clouds, and thus finding an altitude where the air was sweet and pure, even if a bit shivery.
Apparently that was not going to answer in the present case. Jack had ascended until they were already some eight thousand feet from the earth; but if anything their enemy the fog appeared to be more dense than ever.
In fact, it did not seem worth while to pursue this system of tactics any further, in order to beat the enshrouding blanket of sticky wetness—why, if they kept on much longer, the cold increasing the higher they lifted their ship, that same dripping moisture would be turning into ice, and the additional weight was apt to play havoc all around.
“Don’t seem to be any let-up to the derned stuff, Jack,” Perk at this time observed in the ear of his running mate.
“Bad medicine, all right—don’t like it one bit, partner,” came just the answer Perk would have sworn his pal would make.
“Seems like there aint nawthin’ we kin do to make things easier, eh, buddy?”
“Must peg away, keeping our nose pointed east, and ready to drop down lower if given half a show,” was how the head pilot answered him.
“Yeah! don’t ’pear to be anythin’ else in sight, an’ its sure gettin’ mighty cold ’raound these diggin’s, boy. I’m agoin’ to drag aout my heavy fleece-lined coat, an’ climb into the same jest for fun.”
“Go to it, old chap; and after you’re settled give me a chance to follow through, since I’m beginning to shiver as if I had the ague. This cold of the upper air currents is a heap worse than any we run into on the ground—seems to go all through you like a knife. Phew!”