“Then we’ll do it!” decided Tom. “I hate to route Joe and Bill out of bed again, but it’s got to be done.”
Never a word of protest came from the two mechanics as they sleepily rolled out of their berths, and, with the help of Peltok and Tom, while Ned managed a flashlight, went to work adjusting the carburetor and fitting it in place.
“Now we’ll try it,” said Hartman when, toward morning, the last of the adjustments were made.
“But if we start the motors and they don’t work,” objected Ned, “won’t those bandits, who must be camped near here and waiting, hear them and come to the attack.”
“We’ve got to chance it,” said Tom.
Luckily, just as they began to make the test a violent storm, with heavy thunder, came up, and the sound of the motors’ exhausts were drowned in the furious rumbles from the sky. The bandits heard nothing of the trial of the airship’s machinery and, to the delight of Tom and his friends, the carburetor functioned perfectly.
“We’re ready to go up now!” announced Peltok, as the first rosy tints in the sky denoted the coming of dawn. “Everything is all right. We’re going up!”
“And here come the bandits!” cried Ned as, through the windows of the pilot house, he saw a crowd of Chinese advancing.
“Lively!” ordered Tom. “It’s going to be touch and go!”
The motors roared as more gas was turned on. The Air Monarch trembled, seemed to cling for an instant to the earth, and then she began moving rapidly.