"No, we'll be out of here before then!" declared Lieutenant
Marbury.
Indeed the hole was now almost large enough to enable them to
crawl out one at a time. They could not, of course, see how it
looked from the outside, but Tom had selected a place for its
cutting so that the sawdust and the mark of the panel that was
being removed, would not ordinarily be noticeable.
Their set night as the time for making the attempt--late at
night, when it was hoped that most of their captors would be
asleep.
Finally the last cut was made, and a piece of wood hung over
the opening only by a shred, all ready to knock out.
"We'll do it at midnight," announced Tom.
Anxious, indeed, were those last hours of waiting. The time had
almost arrived for the attempt, when Tom, who had been nervously
pacing to and fro, remarked:
"We must be running into another storm. Feel how she heaves and
rolls!"
Indeed the Mars was most unsteady.
"It sure is a storm!" cried Ned, "and a heavy one, too," for
there came a burst of thunder, that seemed like a report of Tom's
giant cannon.
In another instant they were in the midst of a violent
thunderstorm, the airship pitching and tossing in a manner to
almost throw them from their feet.
Pages:
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211