“Good heavens! what a weight you must be!” he exclaimed.
“Colossal! But I lose pounds in ze——”
“Oh, shut up!” cried Oliphant impatiently. “We can’t make another journey, Dorrell. The cover won’t support the stones much longer with those ruffians smashing the wood as they’re doing.”
He had scarcely spoken when the woodwork gave way, the stones crashed down the staircase, and there were cries of pain and alarm from the men beneath. But it was impossible to suppose that they were all hurt, and the passage was now clear for the rest. Something must be done at once to gain a little time until the problem of removing Schwab’s colossal weight could be solved.
Stopping his engines, which were working furiously, but with no effect, Tom, followed by Oliphant and the Moor, jumped from the car and hurried towards the opening. They were greeted by a musket shot; but Tom, seizing a big stone, threw it with all his force into the black room beneath. There were more cries from below, repeated when Oliphant and the Moor followed suit, each with missiles of the same character. Then there was silence for a time. The Moors were apparently nonplussed.
“You can find your way to the hill if I land you below?” asked Tom of Abdul.
“Yes, master.”
“Hold the roof, Oliphant. I won’t be ten minutes. Don’t shoot ’em unless you’re very hard pressed.”
Tom and the Moor sprang into the car, the airship again ascended, and came down about a quarter of a mile from the village walls. There was nobody in sight; without doubt the whole population of the place was congregated about the kasbah. Once more Tom ascended, alighting on the roof just as Oliphant, using the wooden shaft of Abdul’s hammer, was driving back one man, more venturesome than the rest, who had attempted to make his way up. There was no time to carry more stones from the coping to serve as missiles, so Tom and Oliphant at last fired their revolvers, two shots each, taking care, however, to avoid the opening. Tom hoped that the sound of the shots would give pause to the men below, most of whom must have hitherto been unaware that the intruders carried firearms.
Immediately after they had fired, the two made a dash for the car, scrambled aboard, and set the engines in motion.