OVER LAND AND SEA
"Are you joshing me, Frank?" demanded the other Bird boy, as he swung
eagerly around, so as to fix his glasses upon the far off horizon ahead
of them.
"I certainly am not, Andy; but please be more careful how you move. You
gave me a punch in the ribs just then that sent a cold shiver all over
me. Don't forget that we're not stretched out on the ground under an
apple tree taking an afternoon doze. Well, what do you see?"
"Frank, I do believe you're right about that lake business!" exclaimed
Andy.
"Then you can see it?" asked the other, himself more than anxious,
because of the fact that the fleeing bank robbers who had stolen the
biplane of Percy Carberry apparently intended to escape over the line
into Canada, even if to accomplish their purpose they had to daringly
cross Lake Ontario, many miles wide, a feat as yet only successfully
done by one or two bold fliers of national repute.
"I sure can; and the way we're heading it's a dead open-and-shut thing
that we're just going to swing out over the water before another hour
passes. Whew!"
Andy finished his sentence with this significant exclamation. It was as
though not only the novelty of the thing but its thrilling nature
staggered him. The Bird boys had flown under many strange conditions,
but as yet they had not made a water flight.
There is and always must be a vast difference between passing over the
land, with its forests, hills, valleys, plains, cities and villages, to
starting out over a wide stretch of inland sea, with only the tumbling
waves far below, and new as well as untried currents of air to meet and
conquer.
More than a few times Andy Bird had expressed a wish to have just such
an experience. It would be a novelty, something entirely new in their
line, and which would give them possibly delightful thrills.
But now that the chance seemed opening up before them, he found himself
viewing it with considerable apprehension, as well as delight.
Of course it made considerable difference that they should be chasing
after a desperate pair of rascals, rather than simply trying to
accomplish a flight from United States territory to that belonging to
Canada. There was always the chance that these men might turn upon them,
and succeed in doing something to injure the hydroplane, causing it to
drop into the midst of that inland sea.
Strange how small things often insist upon thrusting themselves forward
when some sort of peril threatens. The very first thing Andy seemed to
think about was the fact that they did not happen to have any life
preservers aboard the craft. Not that there was one chance in a thousand
they would ever need such things around Bloomsbury, though there was
Lake Sunrise to be reckoned with; but just then it struck the boy that
every well equipped aeroplane ought always to carry a couple of rubber
rings along, which, in moments of dire necessity could be blown full of
air, and would serve to sustain wrecked aviators until help came.
He even decided to mention this fact to his cousin, after this voyage
was concluded. It loomed up as large as the Rock of Gibralter just then,
even as a dream may at the moment of awaking, but which later on begins
to lose its realistic effect until it seems next door to silly.
"They don't show the least sign of changing their course, do they,
Frank?" Andy remarked after another spell of time had passed.
"Not that you could notice," replied the other, composedly.
Andy derived more or less comfort from this way his chum had of keeping
his head even under the most trying conditions. When his own nerves were
fairly quivering with excitement, it always steadied Andy to turn and
see that Frank was as cool and calm as though nothing were amiss. More
than a few times in the past it had caused the more hot-headed Bird boy
to conquer his own weakness, and do himself credit in some difficult
feat that became necessary. Example is a splendid thing to lead any boy
along safe roads. Words may be forgotten in the trying moment; but when
he actually sees the thing done before his very eyes, it is indelibly
impressed upon his mind.
"About how long will it be before we get there?" Andy asked again; for
he was forever wanting to know, when he had any misgivings about his own
capacity for reaching a reasonable conclusion.
"Do you mean before we leave the land, and commence our voyage across
the lake?" Frank inquired.
"Yes, that's it--more than half an hour, at the speed we're going now?"
continued the other.
"Just about, I should say," Frank replied, after carefully measuring
distances with his eye. "We are up pretty high, and can cover a
tremendous range, you know, so we first glimpsed the lake when we were a
long ways off. It may be all of forty miles away right now; and as we
must be clipping along at the rate of eighty, with the breeze favorable
behind us, why, half an hour ought to see us there."
Andy fell silent again.
Many times did his eyes travel from the distant water to the earth below
them; and then follow this up with an uneasy stare at the other
aeroplane that was flying along far ahead of them. The whole solution of
the problem of course lay in the hands of the man who controlled the
destinies of that stolen biplane. Would he really have the nerve to
attempt a flight across that great body of fresh water, aiming to land
on foreign shores, from which he could not easily be extradited?
Frank seemed to think that such was undoubtedly the intention of Casper
Blue, the little man who had been actor, aviator, and yeggman in turn,
during the course of his adventurous life.
He had already proven beyond any doubt that he was a capable airman,
even though he did have a crippled arm. Never had the Bird boys seen an
aeroplane handled with more extraordinary skill and dash than was the
one that had been stolen from the hangar of Percy Carberry.
No, unless something unexpected happened to disturb the plans of the
fugitive yeggmen inside the next half hour, they plainly meant to launch
out on a voyage across the lake, possibly thousands of feet above its
surface, and perhaps among the very clouds.
Not once did Andy dream of asking his cousin whether in this event he
considered it the part of wisdom for them to follow the men who were
doubly risking their lives in this mad effort to escape with their
booty.
He knew Frank only too well to doubt his willingness to undertake such a
trip as this. In times gone by, and especially when they were down in
South America with their aeroplane, seeking Professor Bird, who had been
lost, with the balloon in which he was conducting experiments on the
isthmus, they had bravely faced just as serious perils as this promised
to be; yes, and wrenched victory from the jaws of apparent defeat more
than once.
Hence, it was a foregone conclusion that if Casper Blue attempted the
difficult feat of flying across the lake, after being in the air several
long hours, the two Bird boys were determined to keep following after
him. It seemed like a game of "conquer," which Andy remembered so well;
where the rival aviator dared to go they must follow, or acknowledge his
superiority as a bold airman, something neither of them felt like doing.
Frank had figured it all out while he was speeding along so smoothly.
So far as he could see everything was working as easily as could be; the
motor never missed, and was running like a charm, just as though it
could keep this up everlastingly in an endurance test. And besides, the
wind, what there was of it at present, seemed to favor them most
positively, because it was at their backs.
So far as appearances went the conditions were ideal for the crossing of
the great lake that was now showing up ahead most grandly.
Andy drew in big breaths, and tried to keep from quivering with delight,
mingled with just a little nervousness. Here was a new experience about
to come to them; and one that they were not apt to soon forget. As a boy
Andy delighted in novel sensations; and as an ambitious aviator he
yearned to experience all the glorious possibilities that open up to the
one who has the pluck and the nerve to attempt them.
They could see a town in plain sight, though they had gradually ascended
since Andy cast his bomb so successfully. Perhaps his little game of
opening communications with the earth below had been observed by one of
those in the leading airship; and in order to prevent another attempt,
this gradual ascent had been immediately carried out.
But Frank fully expected to see the rival aeroplane begin to drop as
they drew near the border of the fresh water sea. Since just then there
was no squally wind near the surface of the water, which they wished to
avoid by remaining thousands of feet high, the chances were that Casper
Blue would soon commence to use his deflecting rudder, and begin to
descend in wide spirals; or else, with the daring of an old and skilled
air navigator, shut off power, and volplane down in a slant that would
thrill any spectator as nothing else could, until the required distance
had been covered, when he would again bring the shooting aeroplane on a
level basis, and resume his forward progress.
Whatever he did Frank was ready to imitate.
He had the fullest confidence in his own ability to accomplish the most
difficult feat that would be required.
"Steady yourself, now, Andy," he cautioned; "because they're going to
change the going pretty soon, I take it. Better put that glass away, and
be ready to give me a lift if I need it. Watch and see if they don't
drop down closer to the water. It would be a wise thing to do, I take
it; for in case of accident the spill wouldn't be so bad."
"All right, Frank, just as you say," replied the other, accustomed to
looking to his cousin for the words of command when an emergency or a
crisis came along.
He fastened the precious glasses in their rigid case, where they would
be safe so long as the aeroplane remained above the surface of the
water, or did not fall to the ground in a serious wreck.
Then Andy paid attention to a number of small but very important matters
that had always been given over into his charge at times like this. The
Bird boys had been comrades so long that they worked together like a
well oiled machine. The ball team that has played in company for a
season can accomplish feats that would be utterly impossible to a nine
that had been brought from various clubs, even though each player might
have been a star in his respective team.
So it was with Frank and Andy; they had grown to know each other's
points so well that when the moment came it often seemed as though they
instinctively formed a single unit, with that exceedingly bright brain
possessed by Frank doing all the piloting of the combination.
They were all ready for the business in hand long before the border of
the big water was reached. Frank had looked around him several times,
and his cousin seemed to know instinctively that he was endeavoring to
decide as to whether the wind was apt to hold as it chanced to be at the
time; or increase in velocity, should they drop to lower levels.
It was rather awe inspiring to see that vast gulf of glistening water
stretching as far as the eye could reach in three directions, north,
east and west. From the high altitude which they still occupied, they
could not tell whether the lake was calm, or waves rolling along its
surface. The westering sun glittered from its bosom as though it might
be streaked with gold, and altogether it was a sight that neither of the
boys would soon forget.
To Andy in particular it appealed with vigor. His nature was more
inclined to worship at the shrine of the romantic than would be the case
with the practical Frank. To Andy that vast sheet of water seemed
mysterious, profound, filled with secrets of argosies that were launched
on its breast centuries ago, when only the bark canoes of the red men
had ever been wedded to its waters. In imagination the boy could even
then see the barques of the early explorers, those bold men who had
pushed thither from across the ocean, and risked their lives in order to
learn what the New Country held for brave hearts.
Perhaps, had he still gripped the glass in his hands, and cared to look
earthward before leaving the shore for that adventurous cruise, Andy
might have seen many a group of wondering people all watching the flight
of those hurrying ships of the upper air currents, and even waving hats
and handkerchiefs in the endeavor to attract the attention of the bold
navigators, whom they supposed to be engaged in a race for a wager.
But there was now no longer time for anything like this, and all their
attention must be concentrated upon the one thing that meant so much to
them--the safety of the delicate craft in which they were now about to
entrust their very lives for a voyage, the like of which few airmen had
ever entered before.
Already had the other aeroplane sailed away, and was even now hanging
over the inland sea, that lay fully four thousand feet below, its
further shore hidden in what seemed to be a cloud, though it might prove
to be a rising fog, fated to engulf both pursuing and pursued air craft
in its baffling folds, and turn the comedy of the race into a tragedy.
"Goodbye old land!" sang out Andy, when they seemed to suddenly pass out
over the water, leaving the shore of New York behind.
Frank said not a word, but no doubt his feelings were just as strong as
those of his companion. And so they had now embarked on what seemed to
be the last leg of the strange chase, with the future lying before them
as mystifying as that fog bank lying far away to the north.