“This is a fine mess!” he scolded. “What is going to be the result? Darkness is coming on, and we will have to spend the night here. We will stand a chance of being eaten up by wild beasts.”
“Och hone!” gasped Barney, “do yez mean that, sor! It’s bad luck fer us, to be shure.”
Once again they set out along the mountain side.
But again their quest was in vain. Each forgot that they had ascended the mountain some distance in quest of goats and that the air-ship consequently must be just below them.
Nightfall was coming on rapidly. Finally they abandoned all idea of finding the air-ship. It was decided that they must spend the night there.
So they fell hastily to collecting fagots to make a fire.
Soon they had a large pile of them ready to light. They knew that fire would keep wild beasts at bay, and this was their safeguard.
Under the shadow of a huge ledge they made their camp and waited for daylight to come again. There was no sleep for either that night. They could only wait the dawn.
CHAPTER V.
THE CAPTAIN’S DISAPPEARANCE.
Meanwhile Frank had finished his repairing in the pilot-house and began to arrange for resuming the journey once more.