“I do,” replied Oliphant, sniffing. “What’s it mean?”
“It means that the turbine casing is becoming overheated. I altered the inlet valve so as to let more of the explosive mixture into the turbine—and this is the result.”
“What can we do?”
“Simply reduce speed and hope that we can weather through.”
“Any idea how much farther we have to go?”
“About fifty miles, I should think. We must have done forty at least. I shut off one of the engines just now, but the second one can’t keep us afloat. I wish Schwab would fade and shrink into nothing.”
Schwab had heard nothing of this. He was otherwise occupied. But noting now the anxious looks of his two companions he said, with his mouth full—“Do I eat too many?”
Tom was too much concerned to reply, but Oliphant laughed again.
“We can’t go on,” said Tom. “I shall have to drop her somewhere and see if I can put matters right. We were five or six miles ahead of the Moors when I caught sight of them last, and we’ve a few minutes’ grace at any rate. They won’t know exactly where we are.”
Choosing a secluded spot, he descended and brought the airship to rest. Abdul had halted; Tom explained to him the cause of his descent, and set him to keep watch on the enemy while he examined the machinery. The Moor looked thoroughly done up, and it struck Oliphant that he was even more in need of food than Schwab, so he gave him the remainder of the stock of biscuits—not a large quantity now. As for Schwab, he had fallen asleep.