Frank Reade Library No. 73: Six Weeks in the Clouds — page 6: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

6 SIX WEEKS IN THE CLOUDS. But Warden expressed agony at the proposition, so speed was shut off and the Thunderbolt held suepended in space. Barney was first on watch that night. Pomp was to relieve him at two o’clock. The Celt sat out on deck for a full hour after the others had retired. The air was chilly, and he experienced many a shiver. He had been directed to listen for some sound from the sky, which might indicate that the lost aeronauts were in the vicinity. But time passed, and he heard nothing above the chuck of the rota- scopes as they kept up their steady movement. ‘¢ Bejabers, it’s loike waitin’ fer the end av the worruld,” te mutter- ed. ‘*Divil a bit do I loike it.” He thrashed his arms about his body for a while to warm his fin- gers, ~ Then an idea struck him. ‘‘ Bejabers, if I had a drap av the crather now J’d be warm enough.” Barney knew where to get this. The impulse was upon him to go after it when he became aware o; @ most startling fact. A dark form Was lurking behind the pilot-house <loor. ‘It’s the naygur!” whispered the Celt as he recognized the shape of the skulker. ‘* Phwat the divil is he up to?” Then like a flash, a complete understanding dawned upon Barney. He chuckled with infinite glee. ‘¢ Be jabers I have it!” he muttered. ‘Shure the spalpeen is watchin’ av’ me, thinkin’ [’Il soon go after the crather an’ thin he’ll foind out where he is!” As this became a moral certainty to Barney, he was too elated to express his feelings. Indeed, he had been anticipating just such a move as this upon Pomp’s part. He had prepared a neat little reception for the darky, which he be- lieved would effectually square old accounts. ‘*Share I'll larn him a lesson in meddlin’ this toime!” he muttered. Barney whistled a merry tune, then exclaimed, as if to himself, but yet lou;’l enough for Pomp to hear it: - Shure i’s murtherin’ cold. It’s a drap av the crather wud do me good, an’ begorra I'll have that same!” He nated with a twinkle in his eye that Pomp had straightened up. Barney now proceeded to walk aft along the deck. He, however, managed to slyly glance “behind him and saw that Pomp was following him. ‘* Be the sowl av Paddy the piper!” he chuckled, ‘‘ I'll fix the oma- dhoun this toime.” Barney lei the way down the ladder to the outer platform and then through a small door into the after hold, which was under the cabin. Here all was darkness. Nobody thought of penetrating to this part of the air-ship save per- haps to examine some part of the machinery. Barney slid along the steel rods which braced the body of the air- ship and then placed his hand under an overhanging joint of the steel plates. He waited until he was sure that Pomp was behind him, then he lit & wax taper. The darky was hiding just behind the door of steel and could see every movement of the Celt. Satisfied of this, Barney hummed an Irish air, then placing his hand under the shelf he drew out a black bottle. ' ‘‘Here’s to ould Ireland!” he muttered, tilting the bottle to his ips. He took a good strong draught. smacked his lips with great relish. ** Shure that naygur wud give all his owld socks to foind this,” he ejaculated in a tone loud enough for Pomp to hear. The darky grinned. ‘*But he niver will,” rejoined Barney. Then he performed a sleight-of-hand which apparently restored the bottle to its hiding place. But really it went into an inner pocket and another was sub- Stituted. the substitute bottle contained a vastly different preparation. Then Barney let the taper go out and proceeded to crawl toward the door. He passed so near Pomp that he could have touched the darky. But he did not offer to do so. He passed out on the platform and went whistling apparently back to his post. But in a few seconds he was back to the steel door listening. There was a rustling movement in the hold, Barney grinned. ‘« Shure, the naygur is onto it,” he muttered. ‘‘ It’s fun there’ll be moighty quick.” Barney was right. Pomp in his concealment had watched the Celt with elated feelings. He was sure of a dead snap. ‘Golly, [se jes’ gwine to wet mah whistle wif dat l’ishman’s whisky,” he mutterec. ‘‘I done fink he be surprised fo’ to see how fas’ it will go.” . The darky crept forward until arrived at the spot where Barney had een. Then he reached under the steel plate and took out the bottle. It was but a moment’s work to uncork it. Victory seemed his. He held it aloft triumphantly. “ Yo’ am a pooty smaht I’ishman, Barney O’Shea, but dar am nee men dau yo’ right abo’d dis ship. Hyar goes to yo’ health, sah!’ It was the real stuff and he Barney listening at the door heard every word of this soliloquy. He nearly exploded with suppressed laughter. And Pomp put the bottle to his lips, He tipped his head back and took a long, deep drarght. —ah, what then? And then CHAPTER V. FUTILE QUEST—THE FUR HUNTERS. THE bottle which Barney had prepared contained a mixture suffi- cient to paralyze a wooden image. There was whisky with it, to be sure a moderate am Ount, but there was algo red peppers, castor oil, mustard—raw, jalap and several other ingredients of an aesthetic and emetic character. Down into his capacious gullet the unsuspecting Pomp poured that conglomerated dose of physical agony. The result was indescribable. For a moment the darky’s amazement was only exceeded by a fear- ful, agonizing doubt as to whether he was yet on earth or in hades. ‘* Ubble—gubble—gurgle—whisht—ss—mm—oh—h—h!” ’ Then a yell like that of an expiring Sandwich Islander escaped the duped darky’s lips. Clutching his throat with both hands, he started for the deck. ‘* Massa Lordy —um—gurgle—sabe dis chile—uggle—oo—oo—bah!” And upon the platform he burst. Here he fell flat upon his stome- ach, wriggling like a snake. ‘* Fo’—de—lan’s sake!” he gasped. h—h—ugh!” Barney was rolling upon another part of the deck in a paroxysm of laughter. ‘* T’ge done burnin’ up!” yelled Pomp. ‘* Sabe dis chile!” Barney instantly sprang up. A pail of cold water sat near the gang- way. The Celt seized it. ‘*Phwat’s the matter wid yez?” he cried. are?” ‘Yah, yah!" yelled Pomp. Swish—swash! Down went the contents of the pail over the darky’s head and shoul- ders. It nearly drowned him, But it had a good effect. He swallowed nearly a quart of the cooling fluid. his stomach. At once he grew better. He managed to get upon This feet. He asked no questions, volunteered no explanations, but stnatat at once for his bunk pell mell. A deep, dark suspicion, had dawned upon his mind. ‘‘ Fo’ de lan’s sake!” he muttered. ‘‘I done believe dat I’ishman knowed I was down dere an’ jes’ played dat trick on me. Well, I nebber.” Luckily none of the sleepers were aroused. Barney went back to his watch. There he spent his time chuckling and grinning over the neat game he had played upon the darky. And at two o’clock Pomp pulled himself out on deck a complete wreck. The dose he had received had made him very sick. Without a word he came along the platform. The Celt knocked the ashes out of his dudeen and arose. the darky a sidelong glance and said: ‘Shure, yez luk all broke up. Phwat’s the matter wid yez? yez get the wrong end av the bottle?” Pomp lowered his head like an enraged bull. to come to close quarters and lit out hastily. He went below and turned in. As for Pomp the poor chap was so sick for the rest of the night that he was hardly fit to remain on duty. Morning came, though, and Pomp overcame tke effects of his bit- ter dose. But he muttered: ‘*T’se jes’ gwire fo’ to get square wif dat Pishman afore dis vy’age am ober, an’ yo’ kin jes’ bet I will, too!” still heavy clouds hung in the aky with the coming of daylight. There was no prospect. whatever of a clear sky. Nothing had been seen or heard during the night of the lost balloon. All that day and the next, the air-ship cruiged aimlessly around. Indeed, day after day passed, and another week sped by. Thus far they had been two weeks in the clouds. At this stage, Frank began to get impatient. ‘‘ Really, Mr. Warden,” he said, ‘‘ I cannot see that we are gaining anything by this sort of business. Are you quite sure that you saw the balloon that time?’ Warden !ooked offended. ‘¢ ] ask for no more,” he said. pursue the quest farther——” ‘* Ah, but that is not the point,” said Frank. ‘‘I have no desire to give up the quest. But it is our method of pursuing it.” @ Have you any better one to suggest?” asked Warden. ‘“« Yes,” ‘© What is it?’ ‘¢T propose that we descend and make a few inquiries.” « Will that not be waste of time?” ‘You forget we can watch the sky from the earth as well from the Ah— ‘Wha’ am struck me? ‘‘Tg it burnin’ up yez Then up came He gave Did Barney: had no desire ‘‘Of course if you do not wish to “ T guppose so!” balloon.” 6) O)CO) CON @ SS (C(O)