A glance at the
compass confirmed Larry's statement. The aviator himself took the
wheel, but it was impossible to head the craft West. She pointed
due North.
"The horizontal rudder is out of gear!" cried Dick.
"Yes, and we'll have to go down to fix it," said Mr. Vardon, after
a quick inspection. "Boys, we've got to make our first landing!
It's too bad, but it might be worse."
CHAPTER XXVI
ON LAKE MICHIGAN
Unsuccessfully they tried to make repairs to the horizontal rudder
without going down, but it was not to be. The airship was being
sent farther and farther along on a Northern course, taking her far
out of her way. And more time and distance might thus be lost than
by descending, making repairs, and going on again.
"Well, I did hope we'd cover at least half the trip before we had
to go down," Dick said, and his tone was regretful. "Try once more
and see if we can't get her back on the course."
But the horizontal guide--by which I mean the apparatus that sent
the craft to left or right--was hopelessly jammed. To try to force
it might mean a permanent break.
"Take her down," Dick finally gave the order, as captain. "What
sort of a landing-place is below us?"
"We're too far up to see," said Mr. Vardon.
"And I hope we have the luck to be above open country. We can't go
to left or right except in the smallest degree, so we'll have to
land wherever Fate disposes. We are all right on going up or down,
but not otherwise.
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