A NIGHT ON THE CHANNEL.
"They're looking for us, and they've got lanterns, Frank!" was what the
one on guard said in a low tone as he pulled his chum's sleeve.
Frank was wide-awake instantly, and one quick glance showed him the
approaching peril.
"Yes, you're right about it, Billy," he observed cautiously, and if
there was a little quiver to his voice that was no more than might be
expected under the exciting conditions by which they were surrounded.
"How queer the lights look swinging along close to the water, and in
that fog, too. They are heading out this way, I'm afraid, Frank."
"It seems so, Billy."
"Hadn't we better get under way, then?" continued the nervous one.
"No hurry," Frank told him. "They may happen to swing around one way or
the other and miss us. We'll wait and find out. You know we can get
moving with a second's warning. Now let's watch and see what happens."
Billy could be heard sighing every now and then. Doubtless, as he sat
there with his head turned halfway around, observing the creeping
movements of those two strange lights through the fog that hugged the
surface of the water, he was thinking it the most exciting moment of his
whole career.
Then a new idea seemed to have lodged in his brain, for again he
whispered to his companion.
"There may be more than those two boats, Frank!"
"Possible but not probable," Frank replied.
"What if, when we started off with a rush, one happened to get in the
way?" pursued Billy.
"I'd be sorry for the men in that boat, that's all, Billy!" was the
laconic reply he received, and apparently it satisfied the other, for he
did not pursue the subject any further.
Meanwhile it became apparent that the searching boats were gradually
drawing nearer the floating seaplane. Unless they changed their course
very soon those in the hostile craft would be likely to make a discovery
that must fill them with delight.
"Are we headed right for a start, Frank?" asked Billy, a minute later.
Frank himself had been considering that very thing. The influence of the
tide seemed to have swung the seaplane around a little more than he
liked; but then this could be easily remedied, for they were prepared
for such a possibility when on the water.
There was a little paddle within reach of Frank's hand; all he had to do
was to pull a couple of cords, and it was in his possession.
Softly he worked it through the water. Frank had spent many happy hours
in a canoe when on his outing trips, and knew how to wield a paddle like
an expert. He had even taken lessons from one of those old-time guides
accustomed, in years gone by, to using a birch bark canoe in stealing up
on deer when jacklight hunting was not banned by the law.
Consequently he now used his paddle without making the slightest noise;
and under its magic influence the clumsy craft gradually veered until he
had its spoon-shaped bow heading just where he wanted it. Then he handed
the paddle to Billy to replace as best he might.
They could by this time vaguely make out the nearer boat, and also the
indistinct figures of two men. One of these was rowing, while the other
held up the lantern.
Of course, there was nothing to tell Frank who they might be. Perhaps,
in these stirring times, the waters of the harbor had to be patrolled by
guards on the watch for submarines or other perils. These protectors of
shipping may have heard or seen enough that was suspicious to warrant a
search of the adjacent waters.
He was more inclined to believe, however, that the German spies,
rendered furious by the escape of the coveted American seaplane had, as
a last resort, started out to scour the water nearby in hopes of
locating it.
"Frank!" whispered Billy again, "I think he glimpses the seaplane
through the fog!"
The actions of the man holding the lantern indicated this, for he was
plainly much excited, turning to his companion at the oars as though
urging him to make more haste.
"Then it's high time we were off!" said Frank.
Again did Billy hold his breath as the possibility of the motors failing
them in this great emergency flashed through his mind. But he need not
have allowed himself this mental anxiety, for no such calamity befell
them.
A shrill whistle was heard, evidently a signal to those in the second
boat to inform them that the object of their search had been discovered.
Then came the cheery whirr of the motors, accompanied by the churn of
the busy propellers, and like a giant, double-winged dragonfly, the
seaplane started along the surface of the water, followed by another
burst of angry shouts.
"Duck! they may be going to shoot!" exclaimed Frank, suiting his actions
to his own words.
That was just what did happen, for a volley of shots sounded, and had
the motors not been making so much noise the boys might have heard the
whistle of the passing leaden messengers.
There was no harm done, for, unable to longer see the speeding seaplane,
those who used their weapons with such reckless abandon had to fire at
random. Skimming the water like an aquatic bird, with a gradual but
rapid increase to their speed, the seaplane soon began to rise.
Billy realized from that that Frank meant to make an ascension, possibly
deeming it wise to get away from such a dangerous neighborhood as
quickly as possible. And, as they anticipated, the reliable _Sea Eagle_
was doing her prettiest when called upon to show her fine points.
Once free from the sea, they rose until Frank felt sure of his position.
He had switched on the electric searchlight, and the storage battery was
of sufficient power to send the ray of white light far ahead. It could
be turned to any quarter of the compass.
"Well, here we are off on our trial trip sooner than we expected," said
Billy, meaning to draw the other out, for he was consumed by curiosity
to know what was coming next.
"Two narrow squeaks on one night ought to be enough, don't you think,
Billy?" asked the pilot, as he started out into that avenue of light,
and then glanced at the handy compass so as to fix their course on his
mind.
"Well, we've been pretty lucky so far," admitted the other. "It wouldn't
pay to keep up that sort of racket. They say, you know, that the pitcher
may go to the well just once too often. It might be three times and out
for us."
"And neither of us feels like accommodating those anxious German secret
agents whose one business in Dunkirk is to steal our thunder, do we,
Billy?"
"Not much," replied the other boy with decided emphasis. "I'd sooner see
the airship smashed to pieces than know it had fallen into the hands of
the Kaiser's men."
"Hold on, Billy! You know we're supposed to be neutral in this fighting
business. We've got some mighty good friends who are of German blood,
and we think a whole lot of them, too."
"Oh! I'm not saying a word against Germans; they're as fine a people as
any in all the world; but, Frank, what we've met with in Northern France
and in the little of Belgium we saw that day Major Nixon took us out in
his motor car, somehow set me against the invaders. Anyway, we've been
treated splendidly by the French here, and our business has been with
them."
"That's understood, Billy, and I agree with you in all you say. But
let's talk now about our chances of dropping down again to the water."
"Oh! then you don't mean to stay up here, Frank? Will it be safe to
descend, do you think?" asked Billy, a new sense of anxiety gripping
him.
"So far as the plane is concerned we can do almost anything with it,"
Frank assured him. "Our light will tell us whether the sea is too rough
for alighting. We're heading downward as it is right now. Steady, Billy,
and keep on the watch."
Having taken his course, Frank knew that they must be out on the channel
some miles from the harbor. On nine nights out of ten he would have
hesitated about attempting such a risky proceeding as he now had in
view; but the calmness that prevailed encouraged him to take the chances
of a descent in the darkness.
"I can see the water all right, Frank!" exclaimed Billy a minute later,
as the wonderful air and water craft continued to head downward, though
with but a gradual descent.
"It looks good to me," ventured the pilot, with confidence in his tone.
Presently they were so close to the surface of the water that both of
the boys could see that it was fairly quiet. The long rollers were
steadily moving toward the southeast, as though the night air influenced
them, but then Frank had before now dropped down on the sea when it was
much more boisterous.
"Here goes!" he remarked, as he deflected the rudder just a trifle more,
and immediately they struck the water.
The _Sea Eagle_, being especially constructed for this sort of work, and
having a spoon bow that would not allow her to dip deeply, started along
on the surface, with the motors working at almost their lightest speed.
Then Frank cut off all power.
"We did it handsomely, Frank!" exulted Billy Barnes, feeling quite
relieved now that the seaplane had proven fit and right for the business
it had been built to demonstrate.
"And here we are floating again," said Frank, "but this time so far away
from the harbor of Dunkirk that there's no longer any danger from spies.
Billy, since that star has dipped behind the horizon, suppose you take
your little twenty winks of sleep."
"You think it's perfectly safe to lie here the rest of the night, do
you, Frank?"
"Why not, when we can get away if the wind should come up, and the sea
prove too rough for us? Make your mind easy on that score, Billy."
"But how about steamers crossing from the other side of the channel?"
asked Billy. "I think I heard that they generally take the night to make
the trip these times, so as to keep the German aviators from learning
how many transports loaded with troops come over. Besides, they avoid
danger from submarines, and bombs dropped from Zeppelins that way."
"Oh! the chances of our being run down are so small that we needn't
bother about them," Frank assured the nervous chum. "I promise you that
if I see a moving light, or hear the propeller of a steamer, I'll wake
you up, and we can stand by, ready to go aloft in case the worst
threatens."
That seemed to appease Billy, for he gave a satisfied grunt and
proceeded to settle himself for a nap.
"This is being 'rocked in the cradle of the deep,' all right," he
remarked, as the floating seaplane rose and fell on the swell. Frank
made no reply, so that presently Billy relapsed into silence, his
regular breathing telling the other he was sound asleep.
So the long night crept on. The boys managed to catch more or less
sleep, for nothing arose to alarm them. Naturally, their position was
far from a comfortable one, and therefore Frank, who happened to be on
duty at the time, felt pleased more than words could tell when he
eventually glimpsed a light in the eastern sky that proclaimed the
coming of dawn.