"A breakdown, Tom! What shall we do?"
CHAPTER XIII
SEEKING A QUARREL
There was an ominous silence in the engine room, following the flash and
the report. The young inventor took in every bit of machinery in a quick
glance, and he saw at once that the main dynamo and magneto had
short-circuited, and gone out of commission. Almost instantly the
airship began to sink, for the propellers had ceased revolving.
"Bless my barograph!" cried Mr. Damon, appearing on the scene. "We're
sinking, Tom!"
"It's all right," answered our hero calmly. "It's a bad accident, and
may delay us, but there's no danger. Ned, start up the gas machine," for
they were progressing as an aeroplane then. "Start that up, and we'll
drift along as a dirigible."
"Of course! Why didn't I think of that!" exclaimed Ned, somewhat
provoked at his own want of thought. The airship was going down rapidly,
but it was the work of but a moment to start the generator, and then the
earthward motion was checked.
"We'll have to take our chance of being blown to France," remarked Tom,
as he went over to look at the broken electrical machinery. "But we
ought to fetch the coast by morning with this wind. Lucky it's blowing
our way."
"Then you can't use the propellers?" asked Mr. Petrofsky.
"No," replied Tom, "but if we get to France I can easily repair this
break.
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