"Shelter? What sort of shelter? There are no airship sheds in this desolate region."
"I may be able to send the ship under some overhanging mountain crag," answered the young inventor, "and that will keep off the hailstones."
Eagerly Tom and Ned, who stood together in the pilothouse peered forward through the storm.
The wind was less violent now that they were in the lower currents of air, but the hail had not ceased.
Suddenly Tom gave a cry. Ned looked at him anxiously. Had some new calamity befallen them? But Tom's voice sounded more in relief than in alarm. The next instant he called:
"Look ahead there, Ned, and tell me what you see."
"I see something big and black," answered the other lad, after a moment's hesitation. "Why, it's a big black hole!" he added.
"That's what I made it out to be," went on Tom, "but I wanted to be sure. It's the opening to a cave or hole in the side of the mountain. I take it."
"You're right," agreed Ned.
"Then we're safe," declared Tom.