“Let them!” chuckled Tom. “They must be uncivilized fellows who have never seen or heard of an aeroplane before. They can’t hit us up here!”
“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” warned Ned. “Better go a bit higher.”
“But I want to see what river that is we’re coming to,” Tom said. “I need to be low down to make an observation.”
He had hardly ceased speaking when several puffs of smoke came from the horsemen below, and though the reports of the rifles could scarcely be heard, there was no doubt as to the firing.
“Duck!” yelled Ned as he caught the hum of whizzing bullets.
Suddenly he saw Tom give a start and fall back from the window.
“He’s hit!” cried Ned, springing to his chum’s side as he yelled to Peltok, who was at the wheel: “Go up! Go up! We’re being fired on!”
CHAPTER XV
YELLOW GYPSIES
Rapidly, as soon as Peltok pulled the elevating lever, the machine shot upward and was quickly beyond rifle distance, though the last glimpse Ned had of the mounted hunters they were still firing at the aircraft.
But Ned had other thoughts than those of the men who, through fear or anger, had fired on the Air Monarch. He had seen Tom start back, wince, and disappear from the window.