“That’s all right, as far as it goes,” declared Jim; “but the trouble is that the woods are so thick, and come so close up to us, that we can’t see the Indians until the last minute. But it’s the best we can do.”
“It’s better than nothing,” asserted the other Westerner. “Maybe I’m over cautious expecting trouble, but it’s best to be on the safe side. It’s better to be sure than sorry. Those redmen, even though I did give ’em most of the bear, may feel that they have been cheated, though it was Ned’s bullet that did the killing. They may persuade the chief to lead the attack. So we’ll just stand guard all night.”
“We can do some work on the rudder to-night, too,” decided Jerry, “and that will fix things so we can surely get off to-morrow.”
Accordingly, he and Ned labored away after supper inside the airship, while the professor classified his day’s catch of bugs, and Jim and Harvey took turns in the pilot house, the great searchlight flashing the finger of fire on the dark trees.
“There, this is all we can do until we can go outside and attach it, to see how to rig the controls,” announced Jerry, at ten o’clock. “Now, how about turning in?”
“You and Ned get some rest,” proposed Jim. “We can take the early watches, and you can relieve us after you’ve had some sleep.”
“I want to do my share,” put in Bob.
“You shall,” promised the mine foreman.
It fell to Bob’s lot to take the last morning trick. At three o’clock he took his place in the pilot house, Jerry and Ned having stood two hours each. It would be daylight shortly after five, and then the danger would not be so great.