“No, sah—no, sah! Slacken de helices, quick!”
Frank jerked one of the levers over, and down they settled toward the ground.
The searchlight had been started, but as the oil engine now failed to operate the dynamo, the lights went out.
It was risky to descend in the gloom of that awful tempest, not knowing where they were going to alight.
But they had to go down.
In a few moments a tremendous crashing was heard, the engine swayed back and forth, and Barney roared:
“We’re goin’ among ther threes, bedad!”
“Can’t stop her now!” replied Reynard.
“Oh, may ther saints presarve us!”
The crackling of branches continued as she went down, and then there came a heavy shock.