Suddenly, as the little band, running for their lives, turned a huge rock in the path toward the upper end of the valley where the airship was, they saw coming toward them several persons. In the darkness Jerry took them for a party of Indians that had gotten ahead of them to cut off their escape. He was about to fire, when a voice called out:
“Yes! Yes, Chunky!” cried the tall lad. “But why did you leave the ship?”
“To come to your rescue,” answered Bob. “We heard the firing, and couldn’t stand it any longer!”
Jerry felt a sensation of relief. Help had appeared at a most-needed time. An instant after he had spoken Bob raised his rifle and began to pump bullets into the mass of Indians. His example was followed by Sledge Hammer Tod and Mr. Bell.
Such an unexpected fire threw the savages into a panic. They fell back, their leaders crying in vain to make the warriors keep to the attack.
“Now’s our chance!” cried Jerry, looking back, and seeing the confusion in the ranks of their enemies. “The airship is just ahead!”
With a final rush they gained it. The old men and women were helped into the cabin.
“Cast off!” cried Jerry to Ned and Bob, who were on the alert for orders. The tall lad rushed to the pilot house and started the gas machine. The _Comet_ was tugging and straining at the holding ropes.
“We’ll stand off the savages, Tod and I!” yelled Nestor. “You move the ship, Jerry!”
There was need of defense, for the savages had again rushed forward, and now surrounded the airship. They could be plainly seen, as the scores of electric lamps in the craft had been turned on. The two miners began a fusillade against their enemies, Mr. Bell and the professor joining in.
The gas was rushing into the big bag, and, in a few minutes it was sufficiently filled. Jerry started the big propellers, and with a rush the airship left the valleys, soaring upward toward the clouds.
“We’re safe!” cried Jerry a little later, when he noted that the airship was a thousand feet high. “Now which way shall we go?”
“Anywhere, so long as it is away from this valley,” replied Mr. Deering.
Jerry headed the craft back over the route they had come, and then, setting the automatic steering apparatus, he and the others gave their attention to the captives. Fortunately none of them was hurt, though all were well-nigh exhausted by the race for life. Hot coffee which Bob, true to his promise, had ready, revived them. Then the comparatively slight injuries the rescuers had received were attended to, and they exchanged experiences. Bob, and the others in the airship, had been waiting and listening, and, hearing firing, had rushed out in the nick of time.