"Appleton, Victor - Tom Swift Jr 10 - And His Ultrasonic Cycloplane" - читать интересную книгу автора (Appleton Victor)

managed to quiet their fears momentarily with his reply:
"Relax, Chow! If any ship can get through, the Flying Lab can."
"That's j-just what's worryin' me," the cook quavered. "Don't hardly look like
anything bigger'n a hoot owl could fly betwixt those peaks!"
The plane was now at the very heart of the storm. Rain lashed the cabin
windows, and the extinct volcanoes stood out in the leaden darkness like
sentinels of doom. Tom was forced to jockey the craft like a balky horse to keep it
aloft.
Cutting the forward jets, he braked the Sky Queen sharply. Then, as the
plane lost momentum against the buffeting winds, Tom eased off on the jet lifter
throttle. Slowly he began the dangerous descent into the gorge between the
peaks.
"Everyone keep a lookout for signs of wreckage!" he instructed his
companions.
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BETWEEN VOLCANOES 45
His own eyes darted from side to side-conning the instrument dials, gauging
the distance between the jagged and threatening mountain walls to port and
starboard. So tightly was the mammoth plane boxed in by the peaks that again
and again it seemed as if the buffeting winds would cause a disaster!
Beads of sweat glistened on Slim Davis's forehead as he watched Tom's icy-
nerved maneuvers. "Only that boy could do it," he thought tensely.
Suddenly there was a screech of tortured metal and the whole ship rocked
and vibrated under the impact.
"The left wing tip is scraping!" yelled Slim.
Instantly Tom yanked the throttle and poured power to the jet lifters. Like a
rocket, the plane shot up from between the volcanoes, with a blast of smoke and
flame.
Chow had collapsed into the nearest seat, his rotund bulk quivering with
nervous shock. "Brand my sagebrush salad," he moaned, mopping his bald head
with a red bandanna, "why don't we try somethin' safe fer a change?" He
grimaced. "Like hirin' some head-hunters to give us all a good short haircut?"
"Sorry, Chow"-Tom repressed a worried grin-"but I'm afraid this jungle rescue
business is going to be no picnic any way we tackle it!" Turning serious, he
added, "Did any of you spot traces of Bud and Hank's plane?"
The others responded with a gloomy negative.
"Pretty tough to see much, though, with all
46 ULTRASONIC CYCLOPLANE
this overcast," commented Sam Barker, one of the flight crew. "We could
have missed them easily."
Above the storm area now, Tom stared at the dark cloud masses billowing
around the peaks.
"Guess we muffed our chance that time," he brooded. "With Dad's giant
searchlight, we could have picked out ground details clearly."
This famous invention of Mr. Swift's was capable of illuminating large areas
with the brilliance of strong sunshine.
"Jumpin' horned toads!" gulped Chow, turning pale beneath his desert tan.
"You don't mean you're aimin' to try that loco stunt again?"
Tom shook his head. "No. We don't have a searchlight on board. Anyhow, it's
no use trying to fly any lower in the Sky Queen-our wing span's too great."