Hank returned to the cabin with his basket and a jeer for Bill.
O’Brien, scorning the “epidemic,” had bound up the scratch and now commenced to manoeuver the three planes in toward the cliffs. The punctured bag hung heavy between the others, but he thought he could manage to clear the rocks and drop the useless dirigible on the plain beyond. Mr. Ridgeway insisted on going on with the papers and jewels, and suggested to O’Brien that he should give him Hank and Bill, while he could stay to see to the dirigible and have Brown placed in prison. Also the two men who were still wearing their iron bracelets and anklets were clamoring loudly for release.
Brown, the prisoner, kept an unbroken silence.
After trying in vain to make Mr. Ridgeway wait over or let O’Brien go in his place, everything was settled in the way stated and the slow aerial procession made its way to the top of the cliffs or over them, and carefully led the broken dirigible, with O’Brien, Brown, the two manacled mechanicians and Ollie in the other balloon.
As Bill skillfully propelled their machine up into the higher currents, Lawrence looked at the cylinder which had been lifted into their machine, and marveled that it could make so much trouble. However, once more they were safe, he was lying beside Mr. Ridgeway, and a wave of love seemed to flood him. Lawrence wondered if he could ever care so much for his own father back there in the States.
It was a clear and sunny day; not a cloud in the sky; not a cross current to bother them. Almost mid-day indeed, yet Lawrence, dead tired, dropped asleep.
CHAPTER XIV
Lawrence slept for hours. When at last he awoke he saw that they were circling above a large city bright with flags and bunting.
“Getting dolled up for the Prince’s coming-out party,” Hank said as he leaned far over and levelled the glasses on the brilliant broad streets below. Throngs of people passed to and fro, and one and all stared upward at the dirigible as it came slowly downward. Not until they had located a beautiful villa nestling among the trees of a vast park on the outskirts of the city did Mr. Ridgeway give the order to descend. A mile from the villa there was a large aviation field and there they landed. A delegation approached composed entirely of admirals, or so it seemed to Hank and Bill and Lawrence, so loaded with gold braid were they and so overtopped with plumes.
Mr. Ridgeway showed no nervousness at all and entered a big automobile, while Hank and Bill lifted in the big hyolax case and sat themselves down on either side of it as a sort of guard. They were still in their aviation clothes, which Mr. Ridgeway said would be considered a uniform. As they started off, another company of admirals deployed around a corner, overtook them on the run, and trotted along on all sides of the car, which was forced to proceed at a crawl. Sitting on the back seat with Lawrence, Mr. Ridgeway looked stern enough to quell any number of admirals. The bandage under his hat was commented on frequently in a tongue the boys had never before heard. It was a short ride to the gates of the great park, and there another automobile was waiting, with another guard. These seemed to be the “pick of the whole b’ilin’,” as Hank said, for the admirals were in pale blue uniforms and were a head taller than the others.