But yet no sign of the lost captain was found. The day wore on and it began to look as if another night would be passed in the vicinity.
“Shure it’s very quare,” declared Barney. “I don’t see phwat he should go away for at all for whin the baste was afther me instid av himsilf.”
“It was not like the captain,” declared Frank, “he would rather have paused to give you aid.”
“So I should think, sor. It’s moighty quare indade.”
But at the eleventh hour the mystery was solved. The air-ship dropped down the side of the peak a short distance, and this brought into view a long jagged spur of rock which shot out from the mountain wall and hung over an abyss thousands of feet deep.
And upon the very extremity of this there was seen the figure of a man. He waved his arms as the air-ship approached.
“By Jupiter!” exclaimed Frank, “that is Beere. How did he get out there?”
Indeed, this question might well be asked. It was not an easy one to answer.
It seemed almost incredible that a man could climb so far out on that awful pinnacle of rock. And once there, return was clearly impossible.
So it could be seen that the captain’s plight was a fearful one. But the air-ship sailed down upon him.