“I hope so,” murmured Ned. “I want to see the color of those sixty nuggets.”
“And the longer we delay,” said Jerry, “the better chance Noddy Nixon and his crowd have of getting there ahead of us.”
“Do you really think they’re after the gold?”
“I don’t doubt it in the least. I think all they wanted was to get an idea of the general direction in which the valley was. Now they’ll prospect about, join forces with the grub-stakers, and try to find it. So we don’t want to lose any time.”
Ned and his tall chum were soon busily engaged on the rudder. It was no easy task, and several times Jerry feared it would take at least two days more to make the repairs.
“And I don’t want to spend more than one night here if I can help it,” he murmured. “Not with those Indians roaming the woods.”
Bob served the bear steaks, and they all agreed that they made a tasty meal. Professor Snodgrass even consented to give up his bug-collecting long enough to partake of some.
Jim Nestor relieved Harvey Brill at standing guard, but, when night fell, it was decided that instead of staying in the open, and building a campfire, the watch would be kept from within the airship.
“We can take turns in the pilot house,” said Jerry, “and I can mount the search lamp on top of it, so it can be swung in a circle all about, being worked from inside. By keeping it on the move it will flash all around the Comet at intervals, and the one on watch can spot the Indians if they try to attack us.”