“Where’s the breeze?” I asked as I obeyed.
“Never mind the breeze. Let’s get off this hill.”
“How about the chests, sir?” inquired Ned.
“Chaka and I will inflate their coverings. Hurry, my lads—there’s no time to lose.”
Roped together as we were it was funny to see the effect of adding to the gas already in our jackets. Nux and Bryonia, accustomed to prompt obedience, were first to float, and each held on to a chest until that, too, was rendered light enough to float. Ned and his chest soared next; then Archie, Joe and I went up. Pedro’s chest started upward and he lost hold of its handles. I don’t know whatever would have become of that precious box had not Archie grabbed its wheel as it went by and held on to it like grim death. Next moment Chaka and Allerton together left the top of the pyramid; but something was wrong with Pedro; he could not find the cock that admitted the gas to his jacket.
He was roped between Bryonia and Ned, and his weight threatened to hold us all anchored when Paul and Chaka, on the ends of the string, appreciating the danger, turned more gas into their own jackets and drew big Pedro gradually off his feet. Slowly—too slowly, altogether—we rose into the air.
The Itzaex, during this time, had been scrambling up the sides of the pyramid. Now the foremost to reach the top, a big, powerful fellow, made a leap and grasped Pedro by the leg, anchoring the lot of us again, although the Indian could not drag us down, but hung clinging while Pedro swore and kicked at him with the other foot.
I thought this was a good time to work my electrite, and down fell the Indian, crumpling several of his fellows who had rushed forward to help him, while our anxious bunch gained new headway and slowly mounted skyward. Ned found the supply cock and gave Pedro’s jacket its full allowance of gas; so now we kept together better and were soon a good fifty feet above our starting place and perhaps a hundred and fifty feet above the ground of the island.
“That’s high enough,” said Paul. “Press the valves gently, each one of you, and let out gas until we cease to rise—but not enough to start a descent.”
We did the best we could, but some of course blundered and lost too much gas, being then obliged to let in a new supply. Finally, however, we had both the chests and ourselves in a condition of “statue quo” and hung motionless just above the pyramid. It was a queer sensation to be “up in the air” like this. I felt a bit dizzy at first, and I noticed poor Pedro kept his eyes shut as if afraid to look down.