Bill Bolton-Flying Midshipman

er in the air a

stick gently forward. The amphibian which he was driving nosed into a long glid

back Mr. Bolton from his

the plane a side-slip as an u

cane or I'm a landlubber. We're soon going to be in for it good and plent

e a long swim," was his

increasing in violence momentarily, he shot a quick glance overside. Row after ro

eyes on the water just ahead he allowed the nose to come gradually up until the amphibian was in level flight. In such a wind this proved a

her, the heel of the step made contact with the top of a whitecap and amid a cloud of spray the amphibian skimmed ahead on the water. Before her nose could play

secure by cleating down a waterproof tarpaulin over the top, flush with the

ered the heavens now, concealing the sun. And as it

the tarpaulin will shed water like a deck. If the fore cockpit ship

n, "but why you keep the plane heading into those combers is b

tion to do that now. I threw over th

d you d

ith the weight of the water pouring down on her lower wing sections. If I tried to

htened the horizon for an instant, Mr. Bolton glim

with the wind instead of heading int

wind at once affects its velocity over the surface, which will be the composition of the speed of the plane through the air with the speed of the air over the surface. You see, a plane which stalls at forty miles an hour will, when landing into a fifteen-mile

smiled in t

you do seem to have learned somethi

ked his head as an unusually vicious wave swept over the forward decking, deluging the two in

Now we're stranded-somewhere in the Bay of Florida-and instead of dining cheerily with

ood bait for the sharks

there's anythin

and bear it until this

t worse before

p, Dad-we'll w

f. Haven't since we came down, as a matter of fact. I've never

Every naval flyer knows that feeling, your son included, at

ope so," falte

pork swimming in its own hot grease, for a

stood up suddenly an

wed suit almo

ir places, weak and empty, but

k always gets one going," mused Bill

nd handed it back, whereupon B

better

continued in his normal tone. "The plane

asing steadily, and fl

something w

et in here. Give me a hand

you goin

wn the coc

first time. "If we put the cover on the cockpit, we'll be drowned like r

er like this. We're in a tight fix, Dad, and our only chance is to ride out the gale. This plane will sink like a stone, once th

Bolton replied, and he hastene

ric torch. With some trouble, because of the violent pitching and rolling of their little ship, he took down the two passenger seats wh

a rug, now," breezed Bill with satisfa

'd much prefer doing so in the open. However, I am certainly proud of the way you're handling things, my boy. From

ear plainly the splash of the waves against the hull. This eerie silence lasted for perhaps

s back against one wall and his feet against the o

ne struck them. Down and still further down went

was a real sport-true, he was a business man, and more at home in a swivel-chair behind a desk than in a pounding seaplane in a gale. But the old man was rig

s his business to take risks. This was about the tightest fix he had been in so far,

feel it. Soon the sea would get up again

cil out of his pocket, and after wri

of these waters?

about twenty-five miles south of Oyster Keys when we landed. The mainla

glancing at what he had written, Mr. Bolton scribb

yster Keys?"

s commotion now, so Bil

ody lives there. Even head on to the storm as we ar

his father. "Maybe we'll m

n the sea that will be running by then

eed this flashlight again before morning, Dad. The batteries are small. They w

. "Goodnight--and

as unable to see the faintest outline of it. The strain and excitement were beginning to make themselves felt. Bill began to realize th

ocket and drew it forth. By its light he saw his father sleeping on the flooring close to him. A glance at his wristwatch showed tha

which seemed bent on burying the small craft beneath tumbling torrents of angry water. The plane was probably leaking a bit,

ht his breath. Dead aft and not a quarter of a