[CHAPTER IV]
A NEW QUEST
Fortunately for our heroes the Comet was a staunch craft, even though built to navigate the air, and, like others of her kind, light in construction. But the motorship had passed safely through hard blows before, and Jerry and his chums hoped this would be no exception. Also the boys, when the first warnings of the blow were observed, had made everything as snug as possible. Now all they could do was to remain in shelter and navigate their craft as best they might.
And glad indeed were they of shelter, too, for, after the first fury of the blast had whipped the sea into foam, there came a burst of rain, almost tropical in its volume.
“I should say it was a blow!” gasped Bob, as he righted the coffee pot. “Look at that!” he cried. “All wasted!”
“Don’t worry about that,” advised Jerry, who was having all he could do to hold to the steering wheel, which was twisting and turning in his hands as the wind forced the big rudder this way and that. “We’re lucky to be as right as we are, so say nothing about losing a little coffee.”
“Well, I’m hungry!” exclaimed the stout lad who, it seemed, would not be balked of his meal, even in a bad storm. “I’m going to make some more,” he went on. “That is, unless you need me here, Jerry.”
“No,” panted the tall steersman. “I guess Ned and I can manage things for a while, unless something happens. We’re going up fairly well, and perhaps we can get above the storm.”
The Comet was now under better control, and was steadily mounting under the influence of the powerful lifting-gas, and the push of her propellers, the elevating rudder being tilted in the proper direction. Of course she was also headed toward the shore in order to take her from above the dangerous water, but her progress in that direction was not as rapid as it would have been had it not been necessary to mount in an endeavor to rise above the gale. At least, that was what Jerry was trying to do.