Part 6 (2/2)
”Do you fellows consider the plane was forced to land? Is that how it happened to come down near the schooner? There doesn't seeet the pilot”
”Forced to land, lasses ”Do you want to knohat I think? I believe the pilot is holding a confab with the schooner By Jiain, and starting to rise”
Frank, at Bob's words, had swung away again to the south After describing a long circle, which carried them so far aloft and so wide of the shi+p as to lose it froain turned the plane toward home
”I expect they never saw us, either from the schooner or the plane,”
Jack said ”There was never any indication of alar through the glass”
”So that they didn't”
”Didn't what?” asked Bob
”Didn't see us,” answered Frank
Frank had accelerated the speed of the engine, and was driving at eighty ht for ho his glasses over the sea below, s's the matter with that little plane Say”--a breathless pause--”it's falling Come on, Frank We'll have to see if we can help Swoop down There, to the left”
Rapidly Frank began spiralling and in a very short tih to the small plane for it to be seen clearly with the naked eye It had been flying at a considerable height As the boys watched, it went into a dive, with the pilot struggling desperately to flatten out He succeeded, when not far fro nose fore smack, there was a breathlesswould be swahtly and buoyantly on the little swells
Descending to the water, Frank taxied up close to the other plane The figure of the pilot hung motionless over the wheel Probably, considered the boys, theabout and buffeted until he lost consciousness
”I'll close up to him head on,” Frank said ”Then, if necessary, one of you can climb into the other plane and see e can do to help
Probably the thing to do will be to get hihto,” said Bob, cli propeller ”Now take it easy We don't want to smash I can drop into the water and swi up close, however, the figure at the wheel of the other plane stirred Then the man lifted his head and looked at theinbotham,” exclaimed Frank, under his breath ”Well, what do you know about that?”
It was, indeed, the man they had interviewed earlier that day in the McKay realty offices, back in New York
”How in the world did he get here?” asked Jack, who also had recognized the other
Frank had brought their plane to a halt It bobbed up and down slowly on the long ground swell, not far froe
”hello,” he called ”We saw you fall and ca, or as it?”
Higginbotha his senses He stared at his interlocutor keenly, then at the others Recognition dawned, then dismay, in his eyes But he cloaked the latter quickly
”Why, aren't you the lads ere inBob's proffer of help
”You're Mr Higginbotham, aren't you?” answered Bob ”Yes, we are the fellows you spoke to”