“I’m not as sure of my figures as I’d like to be Perk, for it’s been hours since we saw anything at all except this fog; but we’ve covered a lot of space and must be well on our way to the hunting ground we started for. Wait until we get out of this mess and then it can be settled as soon as we strike any town, village or even hamlet, that’ll give us a hint concerning our bearings.”
“I’m bothered a little bit just the same,” complained Perk.
“What about, old pal?” demanded Jack quickly.
“What if somethin’ should happen to our ship—we’re a long way from any place an’ well, ’fore you took over the stick Jack, seemed to me there was a bit o’ a holdup to the slick way the boat had been whooping things up—I might a’been mistaken, but she seemed to be wallowin’ some, like she didn’t just feel pleased over the cargo she had to carry.”
“Perk, now that you mention it I do believe you’re right—I’m not pushing her much, but she does act sort of sulky, as if tired of this thing—not that we could blame her for feeling that way. Tell you what, partner—suppose you climb out and take a look around to see if everything seems okay.”
Accordingly Perk, as if sensing some hidden motive in what the other had just remarked, left his seat and made his way out to the port wing—the ship was swaying more or less, dipping and nosing upward as Jack held her to it, but Perk being quite accustomed to such things had no trouble whatever. A minute later and he came hurrying back to attach his earphones again and cry out in a tone filled with more or less excitement:
“Jack, there is something the matter for sure—fact is there’s ice formin’ on both wings, and right heavy at that!”
XI
AN UNSOLVED MYSTERY
“Take over the stick again Perk,” said Jack, apparently not very much astounded by the serious information his mate had just given him, “I think I’d like to have a look myself; I’ve never had any great trouble with ice since I’ve not been much of a hand to soar up twenty or thirty thousand feet for an altitude record. Nothing much to worry about partner. At the worst we will have to drop lower down so the warmer air will melt the stuff. A ship like this can stand considerable in the way of a cargo, though it isn’t just the proper caper to stow the load on the wings—far better to have it somewhere inside the fuselage. Here goes!”
Whereupon Jack crawled out of the cabin and started to make a close investigation while Perk did the honors along the steering line, more or less eager to hear his mate’s report when he came back from his little tour.