“Holt on!” yelled Barney, in tones of agony. “Bad cess to yer, it’s a choonk yez will take out av me entoirely. Lave aff, yer bottle-nosed gorilla, or I’ll go around on a crootch!”
“No, sir! No, sir! Not’ll yo’ luf me down yere.”
“Yis! Yis!” howled Barney, complying. “Ouch, me leg! Whoo—oh—oh!”
The moment Barney let go the rope he tore himself free and rushed out of the shop, pursued by the coon.
In the middle of the big room stood Frank’s new invention.
It was formed like a sharp-prowed ship, and was made of aluminum.
There was an air-rudder at the bow and a water-screw and rudder at the stern, while the deck was railed in.
From the bow projected a long ram, while at the stern were two enormous air-propellers, one larger than the other.
Two turrets crowned the deck, with tubes rising from their roofs, on top of which were a pair of tremendous helices.
From one tube to the other ran two more horizontal tubes, between which were ranged five more big helices.