Preparations for a landing were at once begun, and the Discoverer commenced nestling down toward the earth. The professor announced that the first task of the evening would be to replenish the supply of gas in the bag from the hydrogen tanks.
The anchorage was made without a hitch, and the Discoverer moored as securely as before; but in view of their experience of the night before, the travelers decided to have everything ready to “slip and run” in case the unpleasant experience was repeated.
As soon as the dirigible was secured, the task of adding to her depleted gas supply was begun. Two of the cylinders were dragged from their resting place and deposited on the ground, while the filling tube was made ready.
The Discoverer was anchored almost on the banks of the stream, a rapid one, with a rocky bottom and steep banks. While the others were working about the Discoverer, Ding-dong Bell set himself to examining the gas cylinders.
They were about ten feet long and very slender in proportion to their length. They were heavy, too, as the tremendous pressure within them made it necessary to construct them of the thickest and strongest steel,—the very finest grade obtainable, in fact.
Ding-dong, with his natural curiosity, started lifting one, and found that to raise one end was all he could manage, and that only by dint of puffing and blowing.
Joe Hartley, looking around from his work on the filling tube at which he was assisting Nat and the professor, noticed what his chum was up to.
“Say, put that down! You’re not strong enough to lift it,” he jeered. “Those things aren’t for kids to monkey with.”
“They’re not, eh?” puffed Ding-dong valiantly, “I’ll soon show you.”
With a supreme effort he managed to raise the cylinder and move it a short distance.