"Then you take the wheel and make it," suggested Innis, who had been
steering.
Dick did so, but his hand accidentally touched the gasolene lever,
cutting off the supply to the motor. In an instant the machine went
dead.
"Never mind!" cried the young millionaire. "I'll go down anyhow.
No use starting the motor again. I'll volplane and land where I
can."
And, as it happened, he came down in New York, in the midst of the
Bronx Park buffalo range.
It was a perfect landing, the Abaris reaching the ground with
scarcely a jar. But the big, shaggy buffaloes snorted in terror,
and ran in all directions. That is, all but one big bull, and he,
with a bellow of rage, charged straight for the airship!
CHAPTER XXI
OFF FOR THE PACIFIC
"Look out for him!"
"Go up in the air again!"
"Has anybody got a gun?"
"Start the motor!"
These, and other excited cries, came from those in Dick Hamilton's
airship as they saw the charging buffalo. The animal was the
largest in the captive herd, probably the leader. It seemed a
strange thing for a modern airship to be threatened with an attack
by a buffalo in these days, but such was the case.
"He may damage us!" cried Dick. "We've got to do something!"
But there seemed nothing to do. Before they could get out of the
cabin of the airship, which now rested on the ground within the
buffalo range, the frightened and infuriated animal might rush at
the craft.
And, though he would probably come off second best in the odd
battle, he might damage some of the frail planes or rudders.
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