She made rapid headway toward the pretty little city, Barney playing his fiddle and Pomp thumping his banjo.
The weather was very stormy.
When they reached Readestown the wind was blowing a gale, and as they attempted to land in Frank’s grounds, the storm caught the flying ice ship and drove it toward a church steeple.
Frank made a desperate effort to steer it away, but failed to succeed, for it struck the steeple with a terrific shock.
“Throw over the grapnel!” screamed Frank.
“What’s the matter?” gasped Barney.
“The gyroscope lever is broken!”
The flying ice boat would have gone up, up, up, high in the sky until it had been repaired had not the inventor caused the grapnel to be thrown over.
It caught in one of the windows in the steeple.
Every moment the gale was slamming the boat against the spire, threatening to demolish the Ranger.