CHAPTER XXVI
THE SECRET TUNNEL IN THE MESA
At five o'clock Ned and Alan were astir. With regrets that they
were not at Camp Eagle for a plunge in the cool mountain lake, they
prepared another hot meal, ate it, and boarded the Cibola.
The balloon had now been inflated thirty-eight hours and was
noticeably showing the loss of its gas. While the top of the bag
was yet round and firm in the heat of the sun the lower sides had
become a trifle flabby as the cool evening had come on. Up to this
time all records for balloon flight had been broken a fact due to
the renewed buoyancy caused each day by the hot, Southwestern Sun.
And, exploration in and quick ascent from the canyons before them
would before long call for the use of ballast. The boys agreed that
the time had arrived to utilize their liquid hydrogen. The
shrinkage that night had been quite perceptible.
They regretted that but two-thirds of this remained--about eleven
cubic feet. This when reconverted meant nearly twelve thousand
cubic feet of new gas at their present altitude. As the work of
converting the gas involved care, preparation for it was made before
the Cibola was cut loose.
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