CHAPTER II
A RESCUER FROM THE SKIES
"What if the bally thing takes a notion to duck under, Larry?" askedElephant, staggered himself at the possibility of such a catastrophehappening.
"Wow! they'd stand a chance of being drowned, then, I take it!"answered the taller lad, shaking his head as if worried.
"Say, p'raps we ought to be chasing after a boat, and putting out thereright now," the small boy exclaimed.
"O K say I. Let's make a dash for Cragan's dock, and borrow hisskiff!" suggested Larry, ready to toss fishing poles, and even the finecatch in the dusty weeds bordering the road, so that they might beunimpeded in their flight.
"Hold on, boys!" observed the gentleman in the tonneau of the touringcar, as he reached out and caught Larry by the sleeve of his shirt."No need of bothering yourselves in the least, I assure you."
"But perhaps the biplane might sink, sir," declared Elephant, stillshowing extreme nervousness. "And what if Frank or Andy happened to becaught in the wires that stay the planes? They might be drowned, yousee. Accidents can happen, even to the two smart Bird boys."
"No danger of any such catastrophe, I give you my word," went on thegentleman. "And when you learn the truth, you'll thank me forrestraining you from acting in a foolish manner. Here, take a lookthrough this glass I chance to have along in the car. What do you seenow?"
Larry accepted the binoculars, and immediately adjusted them to hiseyes.
"Well, of all the things I ever heard of!" he slowly ejaculated.
"Let me look, Larry," exploded Elephant, as he deftly "hooked" theglasses away from his companion's hands, and immediately clapped themto his own eyes, to let out a shout of amazement. "I declare if theold thing ain't floatin' like a big duck. Talk about her sinking, youcouldn't push that wonder box down under the surface. Some more ofFrank's magic; he's got 'em all queered a mile, Larry."
"Listen," remarked Mr. Marsh, quietly. "There's nothing so verywonderful about this new stunt of your friend, Frank. Those shiningthings you noticed about the biplane happened to be a couple of newaluminum pontoons under the craft, meant to float the whole affairwhenever it drops in the water. They will be in common use shortly.And that machine is what we call a hydroplane--that is, it will proveto be as much at home on the water as in the air."
"What d'ye think of that, Elephant?" cried Larry, ready to swing hishat, and give a loud whoop to let the young aviators know that friendlyeyes had been watching their startling maneuvers. "Ain't they all thecandy, though? Why, Perc Carberry never could get up early enough inthe morning to best the Bird boys."
"They float all right," remarked the other boy, still gazing throughthe fine pair of marine glasses that seemed to bring the biplane withintouching distance. "But how under the sun can they start up again?Don't they have to take a run on them bicycle wheels first?"
"Watch and see," laughed Mr. Marsh. "A hydroplane can rise from thesurface of the water just like a wild duck might. The propeller startsto working, the machine is sent swiftly along, and soon leaves thewater, to soar upward as the planes are moved accordingly. There theygo; now, keep tab on what they do, Longley."
He took the glasses from Elephant and placed them to his own eye, asthough it might be of the greatest importance that he see distinctlyevery little movement of the daring young aviators.
"Whoop! hurrah! there they quit snaking along on the water! They'regoing to climb, I tell you, Larry! Look at that, would you? Up theygo, as easy as you please! Now, ain't that just a hummer; and did youever hear tell of as smart a pair of boys as Frank and Andy Bird? Whatwon't they try next, I wonder?"
"They certainly seem to be made of the right stuff for airmen,"admitted Mr. Marsh, with animation. "Some time I hope to make theiracquaintance, and hear the story of their stirring adventure down inSouth America. What say Longley, can we afford to lay over at thisBloomsbury for a couple of days, while we have the car overhauled, andput in apple-pie condition?"
"It might be a good thing, Marsh," the other promptly answered, as hedetected the signal wink his companion gave. "You know they say anounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. And unlesssomething is done we stand a chance of being thrown over a precipice,when that weak place in the machinery gives way suddenly."
"All right, then; we'll stop," remarked the gentleman with theglittering eyes, as if the new idea quite appealed to him. "I'd liketo see something of these Bird boys. They have a future before them, Ibelieve. And if I'm any judge of up-to-date things I even suspectthey've gone and applied that latest device the Wrights patented, wherea little pendulum under the machine warps the planes automatically, atthe slightest motion of the body, keeping the aeroplane in an exactlyhorizontal position."
"Oh! they're up to snuff, all right, take it from me," declaredElephant, with an air of pride, since it was his friends whose praiseswere being sung, and he could bask in the reflected light.
"I bet you there ain't anything going on in aviation circles that themtwo boys don't know," put in Larry, enthusiastically. "They take allsorts of papers and magazines, and spend every living day in that oldshop. I knew something was on, and there she is, all hatched out.Poor old Percy, won't he just want to crawl back into his hole, though,when he learns this?"
"Rats! you don't know him if you think that!" exclaimed Elephant. "Tento one he plays Frank and Andy a close second. Right now that sharperhas got cards hidden up his sleeve, and ready to surprise everybody.Didn't he slip away early in the spring, and go down to New York? Youwatch his smoke, I tell you, Larry. No, Perc ain't giving up till hehas to, and that won't be till the race is run. Just wait!"
"I declare, that's a queer thing to allow!" exclaimed Longley, who hadpicked up the glasses and with them swept the surface of the lake, aswell as surveyed the hovering biplane that had walked on the water likean aquatic bird.
"What now?" asked Mr. Marsh, looking a little nervous.
"Why, see that boat floating out yonder, the plaything of the breezethat seems to be rising?" asked the other, still using the binoculars.
"I see what you mean," remarked Mr. Marsh, "and it seems to havedrifted away from the shore. Is that some man lying down in it?There, I saw the object move then. What is it, Longley?"
"A little baby, hardly more," came the startling reply. "Oh! he wasnearly over the side, that time. However in the wide world do yousuppose the child ever came to be in that boat? Here, take a look.Marsh. Another tilt like that, and the child will be drowned forcertain!"
"Why, it must be Tommy Cragan, the fisherman's baby," said Larry, hisface turning a bit gray with alarm. "I've seen the little shaverplaying around his daddy's boat many a time. It must have floated off;and now it's away out on the lake, where the water is twenty feet deep!"
"Cracky! that's tough on poor old Cragan, with his wife sick abed!"groaned the sympathetic Elephant, as he strained his eyes to watch.
"If the child would only remain quiet there would be little danger,"remarked Mr. Marsh, who was still looking through the glasses, asthough something about the picture fascinated him.
"That's the trouble," remarked his companion, quickly, "the little chapis getting frightened, or else bolder, for he keeps leaning far overall the time. Can nothing be done to save the child? If I could swimI'd take a chance at it myself."
"We could run as fast as anything to Cragan's, sir," declared Elephant,"or perhaps you could take us in, and we'd show you the way there. Hemight have another boat, and would put out to save Tommy."
"I'm afraid that would be too late, good though the intention mightseem," the man said regretfully.
"I can swim like a duck, sir. What's to hinder me jumping in andtrying to get out there to him in time?" demanded Larry, hastening tostart removing his shoes as he spoke.
"It's a long way out there, my boy, and you might take a cramp," saidLongley.
"But I'm willing to try it, sir. Besides, the rest of you could beheading for
Cragan's fish house, and seeing if he's around. I knowthat little chap, and he's the idol of his daddy's heart. It'll nighabout kill Amiel if the kid was drowned."
Even while he was speaking Larry had kicked one shoe off, and wasworking to undo the stubborn lace of the other, which of course had toget in a snarl as usual, exciting his nervous disposition to theutmost, as he tugged away.
"Hold on! I'm afraid it's going to be too late!" exclaimed the otheroccupant of the touring car, still keeping his eyes glued to thesmaller end of the marine glasses.
"Oh! is he going to fall in, sir?" gasped Elephant, in a quiver offear, as he shaded his eyes with both hands, and stared out across thatglowing stretch of water.
"There! he has done it!" cried the other; and all of them saw whatseemed to be a faint splash alongside of the drifting skiff. "No,strange to say the little fellow has caught hold of the gunnel of theboat; and while his body is in the lake, he continues to hold ondesperately, just keeping his head above the surface! But it can'tlast, it can't last! He could not keep up that grip more than a minuteat the most! This is terrible; and all of us so helpless to save thechild!"
He took the glasses down as though really unable to watch any longer.But his companion did not seem to feel the same way, for he immediatelysnatched them out of Mr. Marsh's hand, and clapped them to his eyes.
"No use, boy, thinking of swimming out yonder," said Mr. Marsh, seeingthat Larry had finally broken the obstinate lace, and kicked the shoeinto the bushes. "Long before you could get near the boat it would allbe over. If anything is to be done, some one else will have toengineer the rescue."
"And it's coming," shouted the other, just then. "Watch the biplane,Marsh! The boys have seen the danger of the child! They are headedfor the drifting boat, and darting down again. Perhaps they mean toalight in the water alongside, and pick the little chap up! Good!Another ten seconds, and they will have arrived on the spot!"
Even Larry, barefooted now, and with both hands tightly clenched, suchwas his wrought-up condition, stood and watched with burning eyes asthe aeroplane sank lower and lower in its forward swoop. Undoubtedlythe Bird boys had suddenly become aware of the dreadful perilthreatening the little chap belonging to the well known Bloomsburyfisherman, who was every boy's friend; and meant to do their level bestto save Tommy from the watery grave that yawned to receive him.
"Oh! it's too late!" suddenly cried Longley, staggering back as if hehad himself received a blow.
"What happened?" exclaimed his companion, hoarsely.
"The child let go! See, he is struggling in the water, but mustdisappear before the aeroplane can alight, for it is still twenty feetabove the lake. Too bad! Too bad! They might have got him in anotherminute!"
"Look there! One of them has leaped into the lake! See that splash,would you?" shrilled Larry, jumping up and down in his excitement.
"That was Andy, I reckon!" cried Elephant, climbing up on the side ofthe car, the better to see, at this tremendously exciting stage of thegame. "He ain't afraid of anything; neither is Frank, for that matter.And he just dove right down like a hawk after a breakfast of fish. Doyou see him, mister? Ain't he come up yet? Oh! my! I wouldn't havemissed this for a cookey. What's he doing, mister, please? He's ourchum, Andy is, and we're proud of him."
"Yes, there he is alongside the boat now," said Longley, using thebinoculars again, "I can see him swimming with one hand. He seems tohave injured the other--no, no, it must be he's got the child grippedin his right arm, for I seem to see a yellow head close to his. There,the hydroplane drops in the water near by. The boy lifts up his burdenand places it in the boat. Now he's climbing in himself, as if hemeans to revive the child. Marsh, he's done it! And if that was AndyBird I take off my hat to him."
Whereupon both Elephant and Larry started in to shout and cheer at thetop of their voices; as though they might have a personal interest inthe gallant rescue which had just come under their observation.
The Airplane Boys among the Clouds Page 2