<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI<br/> <span class="cheaderfont">NED SAVES THE “FLYER’S” CREW</span></h2>
<p>Dull despair gripped even the ordinarily
cheerful Ned’s heart as he stared at the broken
lever, flush with the metal work around the
socket where it had defied all efforts to pry it
up and loose. If only there were a half inch
or so of the lever still projecting above the
metal frame so that one might get a purchase
on it with pincers, or—</p>
<p>“Silly that I am!” shouted Ned. “Here we
have all been wasting our time and effort trying
to pry the lever up, when we can just as easily
rip off the metal top casing around the socket.
That will certainly leave at least three-quarters
of an inch of the lever sticking up where we can
get at it. Boys! Oh, boys! Come here, quick,
and bring some screw drivers, a cold chisel,
a hammer, and a pair of good strong plyers with
you!”</p>
<p>The other lads came running with the desired
tools and Ned explained his idea in a few words.
All looked at each other sheepishly, but with<span class="pagenum">[130]</span>
vast relief they began at once to carry out Ned’s
instructions.</p>
<p>“What ninnies we were not to think of so
simple a thing long before this!” exclaimed
Alan.</p>
<p>“I guess it was because the idea was too
simple,” Buck said wisely.</p>
<p>Ned cut short further discussion.</p>
<p>“To work! To work, you fellows!” he cried.
“Remember that every instant wasted in chatter
carries us so much the nearer to earth where
there’s no telling what may await us.”</p>
<p>So thereupon all of the boys set to work with
a will. In their excitement they forgot the freezing
cold and their own discomfort. While Ned
kept the <em>Flyer</em> in its course, Bob and Alan and
Buck were working loose the screws which held
the heavy metal top plates in place and hammering
and prying with the razor-edged chisels. It
was far from being easy work, but they made
good headway for all that.</p>
<p>Presently Alan gave a triumphant shout and
tossed the first dislodged screw to the floor.
Others soon followed it. By that time Buck had
cut free the entire upper plate of metal from
the wooden box base on his side, and Bob had
pried it almost as loose on the other side. Soon<span class="pagenum">[131]</span>
the whole thick sheet of metal came loose and
could be lifted free of its pedestal.</p>
<p>As Ned had surmised, its removal left fully
three-quarters of an inch of the broken end of
the lever protruding where it was easily possible
to get a grip on it with the heavy plyers.</p>
<p>Getting a firm grip on the shaft and pulling it
out were two entirely different matters, however,
as the boys soon found out. For a long time the
jammed lever resisted their every effort to
loosen it and faces again began to look grave.
It was not until they were almost ready to give
it up as a hopeless job, that, all of a sudden,
Buck, who was tugging with might and main,
felt the lever give slightly. A second later the
whole length slid smoothly up into view.</p>
<p>“Hurrah!” shouted Alan, throwing his cap
wildly into the air. “Saved! saved! Now we
can get her under control again and laugh at
whoever may be waiting down there on Mother
Earth!”</p>
<p>The boys certainly were justified in performing
a war-dance of jubilation around the walls
of the little pilot house.</p>
<p>It only remained for them to repair the broken
handle, and then the <em>Ocean Flyer</em> was once more
responsive to the slightest touch of the hand<span class="pagenum">[132]</span>
upon her delicate steering mechanism. Fully two
hours had elapsed; Alan’s watch showed nearly
eight o’clock.</p>
<p>As the airship continued to drop, the ice
melted on the port windows and a grateful
warmth began to make the blood circulate freely
again. The heavy overcoats were discarded and
everybody began talking excitedly about what
they were going to do when they reached the
earth once more. All agreed that, even if it
were only for a few minutes, they wanted to land
and feel good solid ground beneath their feet.</p>
<p>“But where do you suppose we’ll strike terra
firma?” asked Bob. “It’s pretty certain that
we won’t find ourselves over Belgium as when
we left.”</p>
<p>“What difference does it make anyhow?”
exulted Alan. “We’ll be on earth again, and
that’s enough of a guarantee for me just now.
I don’t care whether we land in Germany or
Japan.”</p>
<p>“Hold on there! It does make a difference
to me though,” cried Buck. “Remember that
the New York <cite>Herald</cite> really sent yours truly
along on this expedition as a war correspondent,
and I haven’t yet had a chance to write a word
of ‘copy’ or even to see a battle in progress. I<span class="pagenum">[133]</span>
didn’t bring along all of those notebooks for
nothing, Alan!”</p>
<p>Everybody had to laugh heartily at that. Bob
agreed with Buck.</p>
<p>“I’m a newspaper man too, you know,” he
said, “and I also would like to see the actual
fighting at close range.”</p>
<p>“Thanks, old man,” rejoined Alan dryly,
“but I’ve seen quite enough fighting lately to
last me the rest of my natural life. However,
your words remind me that we haven’t yet heard
the story of your experiences in the war zone, or
how it was that the Germans came to arrest you
as a spy. Now that none of us have anything
much to do for a while, give us the yarn, won’t
you, Bob?”</p>
<p>Bob nodded, but before he could begin, Buck
cried:</p>
<p>“Wait a minute. Let’s all go up to the pilot
house where Ned can hear the story too.”</p>
<p>“That’s only right,” agreed Alan, so the
three of them rejoined Ned, where he sat at the
wheel, and Bob Russell related his adventures
as follows.</p>
<hr class="chap" />
<p><span class="pagenum">[134]</span></p>
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