But even this uncertain—almost terrifying—light was of aid to the boys; Jack, at least, remembered very clearly the way to the wrecked flying machine, and of course the old hunter was not likely to lose his way in as black a night as ever was made.
They struggled on between the intervals of pitch darkness, for the trembling of the earth had again ceased. The visitation had been much heavier than they had previously suffered.
"The best thing we can do," muttered Mark in Jack's ear, "is to fix up the Snowbird and beat it away from here just as fast as we can. This is altogether too strenuous a place for us, believe me!" "If we only can!" responded Jack, secretly as worried as his chum. "This is a pretty fierce proposition, Mark. Just think of our bonny Snowbird wrecked on her first voyage! It's mighty hard; eh, chum?"
But the duty before the two boys just then was to find the wrecked 'plane and see what could be done with it. The thunder continued to mutter and the intermittent flashes of electricity helped them somewhat in finding the way to the spot where the Snowbird had made her final landing. But the fall of volcanic ash continued and the darkness, between the lightning flashes, remained as smothering as before.
They reached the spot, however—seemingly a small plateau on which the huge trees did not encroach, giving them plenty of space for a flight if they were fortunate enough to get the Snowbird in condition for such an attempt.
There were both electric lamps and lanterns in the machine and Mark sent Washington White to light every one while he and Jack went over the wrenched mechanism. Andy Sudds stood guard with his rifle, or ready to lend a hand should the boys need him.
The storm in the clutch of which the flying machine had traveled so many hundred miles had wrenched her not a little. And the two landings she had made on the mountainside had done her no particular good. There was a broken plane, any number of wires to splice, and bent rods innumerable.
These were the more apparent injuries. But the more delicate machinery of the Snowbird required a thorough overhauling. It was absolutely necessary for them to have the use of a forge, and Jack had already learned that such an article was among the oil hunter's possessions at his camp.
They were a solid three hours putting to rights the machine and correcting the damage done to her smaller parts. Then, with several rods to be straightened and the light framework of the broken plane, that must be put in the fire for a bit, the party started down the mountain to Phineas Roebach's camp.
The four had left the plateau where the Snowbird lay and were just descending into the forest, carrying two storage battery lamps with which the easier to find their way.