“Good morning, son,” said a voice behind Bill. “Reckon the Old Man got
his wish. One of the Oyster Keys, isn’t it?”
“Shouldn’t be surprised,” returned Bill without enthusiasm. “We’ll soon
know more about it. At the rate the plane is drifting backwards, we’ll
be up to the breakers in about an hour.”
“How about starting the engine and—er—sheering off?”
“Not in a sea like this, Dad. She’d go down in a minute, just as soon as
her head played off. Our only chance is that she drifts past that point
over there to starboard. There may be a bay behind it and if we can make
quieter water, we may win out yet.”
Mr. Bolton slapped him on the shoulder. “That’s the way to talk! You’re
a great comfort to your old Dad. How about a little breakfast before
rounding the point, eh?”
Bill laughed. “You’re on, sir,—if you’ll take off these cockpit covers,
I’ll go below for the emergency rations!”
“Make it snappy, then. I’m hungry enough to eat a horse. Or fat pork
swimming in its own grease, for that matter!”
By the time Mr. Bolton had the tarpaulins stowed away. Bill produced
sandwiches and coffee hot from the thermos bottle.
“New life and no mistake,” Mr. Bolton remarked, munching contentedly.
“What do you think of our chances now that you’re able to satisfy the
inner man, Bill?”
“Not very good, sir. The tide is carrying us toward the point, but this
wind is causing us to drift backward onto the breakers at a rate of at
least three feet to the tide’s one.”
“I don’t see any signs of life on the island,” observed his father.
“No, if anybody lives on that key, the house is behind the cliffs. I’ve
been watching for a sign of smoke, but haven’t sighted anything so far.
Queer formation, those cliffs, for this part of the world. Most of the
islands are so low and flat they’re covered with water at high tide.”
They finished their breakfast in a leisurely manner, and stowed away the
remainder of the food.
“I guess we aren’t going to make the point,” said Bill when their
tailplane lay not more than a quarter of a mile off the breakers. “I’ve
got another idea, though. Stupid of me not to have thought of it before.
It’s a ticklish job, but if I don’t swamp her, we ought to get round
that promontory.”
“Anything is better than this inaction. What’s the good word?”
“I’m going into the fore cockpit and start the engine.”
“You mean we can pull in the sea anchor and taxi out of this dangerous
position?”
“Hardly that. The old bus would pound to pieces in this sea if I tried
to send her over these waves. The idea is to give her just enough
headway to offset the wind drift that is driving her ashore. I want to
keep her the same distance off the surf that she is now. The tide will
then have a chance to carry us sideways round the point. There’s bound
to be quieter water to leeward of that headland.”
“Sounds fine! Anyway, it gives us a chance. What can I do to help?”
“Crawl out on the nose, please. When I give the word, haul in the anchor
line. If you try to get the sea anchor aboard from a cockpit the bus
will slew to the side and I’ll never be able to keep her headed into the
wind.”
Bill took his place at the controls in the fore cockpit and idled the
engine until he was convinced everything was running smoothly. Then he
placed his feet on the rudder pedals and motioned his father to proceed.
The huge white-capped rollers, aftermath of the hurricane, tossed the
plane up and down as though each oncoming wave was bent on destroying
her. Bill knew that his father’s task was no easy one. The decking
forward of the cockpit was rounded and absolutely smooth. There were no
handholds to prevent one slipping off its wet surface.
With a smile, the middle aged gentleman climbed out of the cockpit, lay
flat on the deck and wormed his way toward the nose with a wriggling
motion that allowed both his arms and his legs to hug the slick
planking.
Arrived at the end of his short but perilous journey he sat up, and
straddled the deck as though he were riding a very broad horse. Then
with a hand on the anchor line, he looked back over his shoulder.
Bill was ready for him to start, and with his stick held well back of
neutral to prevent the nose dipping under the waves and throwing spray
into the propeller, he held up his free hand.
Mr. Bolton immediately started to haul in the line and Bill opened his
throttle. Keeping just enough headway on the plane to be sure he could
hold her pointed as he wished, he waited until the sea anchor was on
board and his father safely aft in the passenger cockpit again, and then
slightly accelerated the engine. Even this small burst of speed caused
the amphibian to bury its nose in the combers; and all but foundered her
under a torrent of sea water. Bill instantly idled down until the
staunch little craft was moving through the water at the speed of a fast
walk. He soon found that by keeping her going at this rate he prevented
her drifting backward with the wind. Deviations from his heading were
prevented by use of the throttle rudder and ailerons.
It was strenuous work, fighting waves in a heavy amphibian, and
incomparably more tiring than driving her through the air. Moreover it
took his whole power of will and concentration to keep her head from
playing off and becoming the forerunner of sure disaster. His back and
shoulders began to ache under the strain; and soon his leg muscles were
an added source of torture because of the excessive pressure he was
forced to use on the rudder pedals. He dared not shift his gaze aft, so
when they had been travelling the monstrous treadmill grind for an hour
by the clock, he hailed his father: “How are we making it?”
The roar of the propeller and engine almost drowned the words as the
wind whipped them back to Mr. Bolton. Sensing, however, that his son
wanted something, he donned a headphone and picked up Bill’s set on the
other end of the line. He climbed out of the cockpit and leaned over
Bill, adjusting the receiver and transmitter so that the busy pilot
could talk to him.
“What did you say?” he asked from the rear cockpit once more.
“Want to know if we’ll round the point. If I turn to look, I’ll swamp
her.”
“Sorry,” returned his father. “I hadn’t realized—— Yes, we’re abreast of
the head now. There seems to be quite a large cove and quiet water
beyond. Can’t make it out just yet. Anything else?”
“Yes. When we’re round, let me know what’s behind the head.”
For nearly ten minutes there was no further conversation. Then Bill
heard his father’s voice in his ears again.
“We’re past now. That head is the western end of the island, and behind
it is an almost landlocked cove. You’ll have to make a turn to the left
to get in there. Think you can do it OK?”
“It’s a case of have to, I guess,” was Bill’s answer.
He closed the throttle and, careful to maintain sufficient speed for
steerageway, allowed the plane to drift backward in the heavy wind until
the mouth of the little harbor lay off his port quarter. Exerting
pressure on left rudder, he allowed the plane’s nose to play off to port
for the fraction of a second, then kicked her ahead and dead into the
wind again, so as to take the advancing wave nose on.
Soon their slow progress to port was perceptible. As they drew closer
into the lee of the headland, the wind was less violent, the waves
though high lost their caps of white spume.
Bill gauged his distances to a nicety. His spurts to port became longer,
until at last he manœuvered his craft, floating backward and sideways,
to leeward of the narrow opening between the cliffs. Then with a
vigorous burst of the engine, he swung round to port and sent the
amphibian hurtling into the harbor.
“Splendid, son, splendid!” sang out Mr. Bolton, as Bill cut his gun and
ripped off his headphone. “We certainly are in luck. This island is
evidently inhabited, after all. Look over there!”
Bill was already scanning the cove with a gaze that grasped every
detail. As the plane continued to float shoreward over the quiet water,
he saw that the harbor was almost landlocked. Broad white beaches ended
abruptly in steep cliffs, forty or fifty feet high. Directly ahead a
long concrete pier jutted into the bay and nearby a large yacht and two
big amphibians lay at their moorings.
“Yes, there are people here,” replied Bill. “That road zig-zagging up
the cliffs probably leads to the houses. Funny that nobody has sighted
us. I wonder what they’re doing with a sea-going yacht and a couple of
planes?”
“Some millionaire’s hobby, no doubt. This key probably belongs to him.
Hadn’t we better tie up to the dock and go ashore? We’ve had a strenuous
time of it, and I frankly admit I’m dog tired. Clean sheets and a
comfortable bed, for five or six hours, will make new men of us both.”
“I’m with you,” smiled his son and sent their plane skimming toward the
pier. They made fast to a couple of ringbolts in the concrete and after
securing the plane, picked up their suitcases and stepped ashore.
Without further waste of time they breasted the winding road that led up
the cliff.
“I hope you’re right about the millionaire,” remarked Bill, as he
trudged beside his father. “That should mean a comfortable house and a
good feed. Sandwiches are all right, but they don’t go very far when
you’re downright hungry!”
“Well, this road cost a lot of money to build,” puffed Mr. Bolton. “It
seems to me that this key is the winter home of some pretty wealthy
people. Ah, here we are—top at last!”
The cliff they had just ascended evidently extended entirely around the
shoreline of the key. Before them the ground sloped into a natural,
bowl-like depression. This valley ran the length and breadth of the
island, which was about five miles long by two miles wide. The road,
gleaming white in the morning sun, ran straight down the valley, to a
group of low white buildings, a mile or so away. A heavy growth of trees
and shrubs covered the valley. There seemed to have been no attempt to
cultivate the soil, and except for the road, the group of buildings and
a large house that perched on a knoll in mid-valley, nature had been
allowed to run its own pace.
“Quite a settlement,” commented Mr. Bolton.
“And quite a walk—in this hot sun,” grumbled Bill, shifting his loaded
suitcase from one hand to the other.
“Oh, it will do us good to stretch our legs. Come along. Southern
hospitality is famous, you know. We’re sure to get a warm welcome,
especially in this out-of-the-way place.”
“It’s warm enough for me, right now,” retorted Bill. “Gee—what’s that!”
“Halt!” cried a rough voice. “Stand where you are, or I’ll fire!”
Two men sprang from behind the cover of a rocky outcropping near the
roadside. Both of the newcomers held repeating rifles at the ready. They
advanced down the incline toward the Boltons.