Then he came to earth.
"Now we'll begin the search," he said, and preparations were made to
that end. The Russians, now that they had seen how well the craft
worked, were not afraid to trust themselves in her.
As I have explained, there was an enclosed car, capable of holding six.
In this were stores, supplies and food sufficient for several days.
Tom's plan was to leave the airship anchored on the edge of the wind
zone, as a sort of base of supplies or headquarters. From there he
intended to go off from time to time in the wind-swept area to look for
the lost mine.
There were weary days that followed. Hour after hour was spent in the
air in the glider, the whole party being aboard. Observation after
observation was taken, sometimes a certain strata of wind enabling them
to get close enough to the earth to use their eyes, while again they had
to use the telescopes. They covered a wide section but as day after day
passed, and they were no nearer their goal, even Tom optimistic as he
usually was, began to have a tired and discouraged look.
"Don't you see anything like the place where you found the mine?" he
asked of the exile brothers.
They could only shake their heads. Indeed their task was not easy, for
to recognize the place again was difficult.
More than a week passed.
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