Fortunately preparations had been made for this emergency, and a number of portable extinguishers were placed in various places on the walls of the cabin. These the young aviators now pulled down and rushed with them to the motor compartment, from which the black smoke was pouring in greater volume. "Look out for a gasolene explosion!" warned the lieutenant. "Is there any of it there?" "Only a little," answered Mr. Vardon. "The main supply is in the deck tank. But there is a small can in there for priming the cylinders, in case we have to." "It smells like oil afire," said Larry Dexter. "That's what it is--probably some oily waste started by spontaneous combustion," said Mr. Vardon. As he spoke he threw the contents of his extinguisher inside the motor compartment--it was hardly large enough to be called a room. The smoke was so black that no blaze could be seen. "Open some of the windows!" shouted Paul. "It's choking in here." "That's right!" agreed Larry, with a cough and a sneeze. "Stoop down--get near the floor of the cabin," ordered the army lieutenant. "The air is always more pure there." He, too, emptied the contents of his extinguisher in the compartment, and his example was followed by the others. The smoke seemed to be less now, and much of it went out through the opened windows, which Paul slid back in their groves. "There's the blaze!" cried Dick, as he saw, through the lessening haze of smoke, some bright, red tongues of fire. "Douse it!" cried Paul, handing his chum a fresh extinguisher, for Dick had used his. The young millionaire threw on the chemical powder, for this happened to be that sort of an extinguisher, and almost instantly there followed a sharp explosion. "Look out!" yelled Dick, ducking instinctively. "I guess this is the end of everything!" But, to the surprise of all, the motor still kept up its hum, and they could tell, by the "feel" of the craft that she was still progressing. The gale had now almost completely died out, and the Abaris was making good time, and on her proper course, when the fire was discovered. "The fire is scattered!" Dick yelled, as he rose up and took another look in the motor-room. "I guess it was only that little tank of gasolene that went up." Afterward this was found to be so. The blazing liquid, however, had scattered all about the motor compartment. Fortunately the walls were of steel, so that the fiery stuff could burn itself out without doing much damage. "More extinguishers!" yelled Dick, as he saw the spots of fire about the motor. "First thing we know, some of the insulation will be burned off, and we'll have a short circuit!" The motor-room was almost free of smoke now, and there were only a few scattered spots of fire. Standing in the entrance, Dick threw the contents of several extinguishers inside, as they were passed to him, and he had the satisfaction of seeing the flames gradually choked by the chemical fumes thus released.