“I believe they’re high enough now to cross the mountains in safety.” Bob Somers spoke his thoughts aloud.
Within a few minutes the biplane had left the dirigible far astern. The aviator then worked the pedals controlling the rudder and tail, sending the machine around in a graceful curve.
Another series of thrills, as the planes tipped; another breath-taking glide, and the “Ogden II” was once more soaring in hot pursuit of the air-ship. Cranny gave a whistle of astonishment; the biplane had climbed high above the mountain summits, and was still ascending. A haze seemed to be coming between them and the earth.
When the lad raised his eyes, he saw peak after peak looming up, while shining against a waste of flying clouds towered the snow-capped peak—a pinnacle of forbidding aspect. Almost beneath them great walls of rock rose precipitously, cleft by deep gorges, or crowned with verdure-covered slopes. Every minute a new surprise seemed to loom up in that wild and enchanting scene.
And then it was that the reason for Major Carroll’s course dawned upon Cranny’s mind. Beyond the furthermost crags, a broad gray expanse of plain, looking like the sea, stretched off, to finally merge imperceptibly into the gloomy sky.
“Ah ha; that’s it!” muttered Cranny. “Foxy chap, that; won’t give up—expects to get his engine going. Knows he’ll clear the mountains, and be able to descend on the other side.”
He looked toward the “Border City,” now sweeping majestically above the first summit.
Bob Somers shut off as much power as he dared. Already the biplane had begun to rock, tremble, or wobble in the grip of deflected currents of wind. Bob felt that it would be foolhardy in the extreme to risk another turn; from now on their only safety lay in keeping to a straight course.
For some time the aviator had had an ominous fact strongly impressed upon his mind—the wind was veering.
“Yes, there’s not the least doubt about it,” breathed Bob. “And exactly in the wrong way, too. The ‘Border City’ is surely heading more and more in the direction of that snow-capped peak.”