第 29 节
作者:千顷寒      更新:2021-02-20 15:27      字数:9322
  themselves   most   of   the   time;   though   the   scenery  was   magnificent。 They
  sailed over Quito; that city on the equator; and; a little later; they passed
  above the Cotopaxi and Chimbarazo volcanoes。 But neither of them was in
  action。    The    Andes     Mountains;      as   you   all  know;    has   many     volcanoes
  scattered   along   the   range。   Lima   was   the   next   large   city;   and   there   Tom
  made a descent to inquire about the burning mountain he was shortly to
  photograph。
  〃It   will   soon   be   in   action;〃   the   United   States   counsel   said。   〃I   had   a
  letter   from   a   correspondent   near   there   only   yesterday;   and   he   said   the
  people   in   the   town   were   getting   anxious。   They   are   fearing   a   shower   of
  burning      ashes;     or   that   the   eruption     may     be    accompanied        by    an
  earthquake。〃
  〃Good!〃 cried Tom。 〃Oh; I don't mean it exactly that way;〃 he hastened
  to add; as he saw the counsel looking queerly at him。 〃I meant that I could
  get   pictures   of   both   earthquake   and   volcano   then。   I   don't   wish   the   poor
  people any harm。〃
  〃Well; you're the first one I ever saw who was anxious to get next door
  to   a   volcano;〃   remarked   the   counsel。   〃Hold   on;   though;   that's   not   quite
  right。 I heard yesterday that a couple of young fellows passed through here
  on   their   way  to   the   same   place。   Come   to   think   of   it;   they   were   moving
  picture men; also。〃
  〃Great Scott!〃 cried Tom。 〃Those must be my rivals; I'll wager。 I must
  get right on the job。 Thanks for the information;〃 and hurrying front the
  office he joined his friends on the airship。 and was soon aloft again。
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  〃Look; Tom; what's   that?〃 cried Ned;  about noon the  next day  when
  the   Flyer;   according     to  their  calculations    must   be   nearing   the   city  of
  Arequipa。 〃See that black cloud over there。 I hope it isn't a tornado; or a
  cyclone; or whatever they call the big wind storms down here。〃
  Tom;     and   the  others;   looked    to  where    Ned   pointed。    There    was   a
  column of dense smoke hovering in the air; lazily swirling this way and
  that。 The airship was rapidly approaching it。
  〃Why  that〃 began Tom;  but   before   he   could   complete   the sentence
  the smoke was blown violently upward。 It became streaked with fire; and;
  a moment later; there was the echo of a tremendous explosion。
  〃The volcano!〃 cried Tom。 〃The Arequipa volcano! We're here just in
  time; for she's in eruption now! Come on; Ned; help me get out the camera!
  Mr。 Damon; you and Mr。 Nestor manage the airship! Put us as close as you
  dare! I'm going to get some crackerjack pictures!〃
  Once more came a great report。
  〃Bless   my   toothpick!〃   gasped   Mr。   Damon。   〃This   is   awful!〃 And   the
  airship   rushed   on   toward   the   volcano   which   could   be   plainly   seen   now;
  belching forth fire; smoke and ashes。
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  CHAPTER XXIV
  THE MOLTEN RIVER
  〃Whew!〃   gasped   Ned;   as   he   stood   beside   Tom   in   the   bow   of   the
  airship。 〃What's that choking us; Tom?〃
  〃Sulphur; I guess; and gases from the volcano。 The wind blew 'em over
  this way。 They're not dangerous; as long as there is no carbonic acid gas
  given off; and I don't smell any of that; yet。 Say; Ned; it's erupting all right;
  isn't it?〃
  〃I should say so!〃 cried his chum。
  〃Put us a little to one side; Mr。 Damon;〃 called Tom to his friend; who
  was in the pilot house。 〃I can't get good pictures through so much smoke。
  〃It's clearer off to the left。〃
  〃Bless my bath robe!〃 cried the odd man。 〃You're as cool about it; Tom;
  as though you were just in an ordinary race; at an aeroplane meet。〃
  〃And why shouldn't I be?〃 asked our hero with a laugh; as he stopped
  the mechanism of the camera until he should have a clearer view of the
  volcano。 〃There's not much danger up here; but I want to get some views
  from the level; later; and then〃
  〃You   don't   get   me   down   there!〃   interrupted   Mr。   Nestor;   with   a   grim
  laugh。
  They were now hovering over the volcano; but high enough up so that
  none of the great stones that were being thrown out could reach them。 The
  column   of   black   smoke;   amid   which   could   be   seen   the   gleams   of   the
  molten   fires   in   the   crater;   rolled   toward   them;   and   the   smell   of   sulphur
  became stronger。
  But when; in accordance with Tom's suggestion; the airship had been
  sent over to one side; they were clear of the vapor and the noxious gas。
  Then; too; a better view could be had of the volcano below them。
  〃Hold   her   down!〃   cried   Tom;   as   he   got   in   a   good   position;   and   the
  propellers were slowed down so that they just overcame the influence of a
  slight wind。 Thus the Flyer hovered in the air; while below her the volcano
  belched forth red…hot rocks; some of them immense in size; and quantities
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  of hot ashes and cinders。 Tom had the camera going again now; and there
  was   every   prospect   of   getting   a   startling   and   wonderful;   as   well   as   rare
  series of moving pictures。
  〃Wow! That was a big one!〃 cried Ned; as an unusually large mass of
  rocks was thrown out; and the column of fire and smoke ascended nearly
  to the hovering craft。 A moment later came an explosion; louder than any
  that had preceded。 〃We'd better be going up; hadn't we Tom?〃 his chum
  asked。
  〃A little;  yes;  but not   too   far。  I   want to get   as   many  near   views   as   I
  can。〃
  〃Bless my overshoes!〃 gasped Mr。 Damon; as he heard Tom say that。
  Then he sent some of the vapor from the generating machine into the gas
  bag; and the Flyer arose slightly。
  Ned   looked   in   the   direction   of   the   town;   but   could   not   see   it;   on
  account of the haze。 Then he directed his attention to the terrifying sight
  below him。
  〃It's a good thing it isn't very near the city;〃 he said to Tom; who was
  engaged in watching the automatic apparatus of the camera; to see when
  he would have to put in a fresh film。 〃It wouldn't take much of this sort of
  thing   to   destroy  a   big   city。   But   I   don't   see   any  streams   of   burning   lava;
  such as they always say come out of a volcano。〃
  〃It isn't time for that yet;〃 replied Tom。 〃The lava comes out last; after
  the top layer of stones and ashes have been blown out。 They are a sort of
  stopper to the volcano; I guess; like the cork of a bottle; and; when they're
  out of the way; the red…hot melted rock comes out。 Then there's trouble。 I
  want to get pictures of that。〃
  〃Well;   keep   far   enough   away;〃   advised   Mr。   Nestor;   who   had   come
  forward。   〃Don't   take   any   chances。   I   guess   your   rivals   won't   get   here   in
  time to take any pictures; for they can't travel as fast as we did。〃
  〃No;〃   agreed   the   young   inventor;   〃unless   some   other   party   of   them
  were   here   ahead   of   us。 They'll   have   their   own   troubles;   though;   making
  pictures anything like as good as we're getting。〃
  〃There goes another blast!〃 cried Ned; as a terrific explosion sounded;
  and   a   shower   of   hot   stuff   was   thrown   high   into   the   air。   〃If   I   lived   in
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  Arequipa I'd be moving out about now。〃
  〃There   isn't   much   danger   I   guess;   except   from   showers   of   burning
  ashes; and volcanic dust;〃 spoke Mr。 Nestor; 〃and the wind is blowing it
  away from the town。 If it continues this way the people will be saved。〃
  〃Unless there is so much of the red…hot lava that it will bury the city;〃
  suggested Tom。 〃I hope that doesn't happen;〃 and he could not repress a
  shudder as he looked down on the awful scene below him。
  After   that   last   explosion   the   volcano   appeared   to   subside   somewhat;
  though great clouds of smoke and tongues of fire leaped upward。
  〃I've   got   to   put   in   a   new   reel   of   film!〃   suddenly   exclaimed   Tom。
  〃While I stop the camera; Mr。 Damon; I think you and Mr。 Nestor might
  put the airship down to the ground。 I want some views on the leve