“We must do the best we can,” said Frank. “You stand by the searchlight, Pomp, and shoot its rays everywhere through the mountains. I will manage the wheel.”
Pomp proceeded to obey orders. The air-ship rose, and while Frank sent it along the mountain side Pomp operated the searchlight.
And here was where the two searchers got off the track. As fate had it, Frank took the opposite direction, and, misled by an angle in the mountain, passed directly around to the other side.
Here he followed the mountain wall in all directions. The result was that he kept moving further and further from the spot where Barney and the captain were in hiding from the dreaded wild beasts.
All night long the young inventor kept up the futile quest.
When daylight came he and Pomp were so thoroughly worn out that it was decided to abandon the quest for a few hours of needed rest.
Accordingly the air-ship descended and rested upon a small shelf of rock jutting out from the mountain side. Then Frank cast himself upon his couch and fell asleep.
Pomp remained on guard for a couple of hours. Then he was relieved by Frank. The darky turned in for much needed rest.
Frank could not remain idle.
He sent the air-ship aloft and now saw his error of the night. He had sailed completely around the mountain peak and had been searching the wrong side of it all the while.