The fire blazed up at once, and Jack looked upward. He saw a great shape hovering over the camp, a shape that was fully sixty feet wide, and he knew he could not be mistaken, for there were the gigantic wings flapping. The object was flying right across the valley.
Will, Sam and Nat rushed from the tent. They had heard Jack’s cry.
“Do you see it?” the watcher demanded. “Right up there!”
The fire blazed up more brightly, and in the glare of it could be dimly seen something like a great bird.
“That’s it!” cried Nat. “Gasolened grasshoppers! but what is it?”
No one answered. The throbbing and whirring grew fainter, and the shape passed out of sight. From the tent could be heard the howling of Long Gun, as he prayed in his own tongue.
“Quit that!” yelled Bony from the canvas shelter. “Do you want to frighten us all to death?”
Then Long Gun’s cries were muffled, and it was evident that he had hidden his head under his blankets.
“This settles it!” declared Jack positively. “We’ll make another trip over the mountain to-morrow and see if we can’t solve this.”