As he saw the air-ship above him he waved his arm feebly. Frank answered the signal.
Then he allowed the Spectre to sink down into the chasm. It was quickly close by the Celt, and Frank threw a noosed rope over the rail.
“Barney,” he cried, “what does this mean? How came you in this position?”
“Shure, sor, I had a fight with a panther,” replied the Irishman. “We wint over the edge wid so much strugglin’, and I caught by luck in these vines. The crayter is dead at the bottom av this place.”
“You have been preserved by Providence,” declared Frank; “but where is the captain?”
“Shure, sor, yez have the best av me there,” replied Barney. “We siperated about midnight, an’ I’ve niver seen him since.”
In a few moments Barney was drawn aboard the air-ship, and then he told his story.
It was a thrilling one.
It seemed that he had fallen asleep at the little camp-fire under the shelf or rock, where he and the captain had hoped to spend the night safely.
Suddenly he was awakened by a terrific screech, and in trying to gain his feet a monster panther had pounced upon him.
He made a desperate fight with his knife, but the animal dragged him a long ways over the rough ground. Then, as Barney made a fresh battle with the beast, they had rolled over the precipice, with what result we already know.
This was all that the Celt could tell. What had become of the captain he could not say. It was a puzzling matter.
However, Frank proposed that they should return to the spot where the camp had been made and look for some sign of the missing mariner.
It was easy to follow the trail over the rocks which was marked with Barney’s blood.
Then they came upon the camp. It presented only a few burned fagots and a heap of ashes.
Nicodemus was gone. He had left no visible trail.
This was strange enough.
Pomp had now come on deck and assisted Frank and Barney. But not the slightest clew could be found.
There were various hypotheses to be advanced. It was possible that the captain, being suddenly awakened by the appearance of the panther, had taken fright and incontinently fled. That in the darkness he had lost his way and was somewhere in the region aimlessly wandering about.
It was not at all likely that he had been killed, devoured, or dragged away by any wild beast as had Barney, else some trace would have been left behind.
A deeper mystery could hardly be imagined. But there was no time to lose.
The air-ship proceeded to skirt the mountain side, and every cranny and nook was explored.
