CHAPTER XXIV.--A STRUGGLE FOR LIFE.
The next moments were filled with anxiety. The sea was running high,and, although Dr. Perkins had brought his craft upon a level keel byskillful volplaning, before it struck the waves, the situation wasextremely serious.
The hydroplane portion of the _Sea Eagle_ was built lightly, and,although it was well strengthened with braces, the test was a severeone. Over the bow the crests of the waves broke constantly, showeringthe occupants with spray. The _Sea Eagle_ was tossed about helplessly, aplaything of the waves, while her adventurers strove to collect theirthoughts and decide what was to be done.
First they adopted Frank's suggestion and donned the life jackets, sothat if the worst came to the worst they would have a fighting chancefor their lives. When this had been done, Frank, who had had someexperience in motor boats, supervised the rigging of a "spray-hood"across the bow. This kept some of the spray out, and, although it wasformed of sheets of spare canvas intended to be used as waterproof nightcoverings, it answered its purpose well enough.
"Do you think that there is a chance of our keeping afloat?" asked Harrywhen this had been done.
"Well, we appear to be making out all right so far," rejoined Dr.Perkins; "the wing floats are working well, and if only we can get theengine going again we may be able to fly ashore yet."
The wing floats referred to were nothing more nor less than the lightcylindrical pontoons affixed to each lower wing tip. They actedprecisely as "outriggers" would do in steadying the _Sea Eagle_. Infact, had it not been for this lateral support, the craft must haveturned turtle under the terrific tossing she was receiving.
"I'm going right to work on the engine," announced Frank.
With Harry to help him, the lad proceeded to carry out this purpose. Butit was the hardest bit of "trouble finding" he had ever done. The motionof the _Sea Eagle_, as she was tossed on a wave crest and then hurledinto the abyss beyond, made it hard to hold on, let alone investigatingthe complicated mechanism of a motor. But as time wore on and they stillkept afloat, they began to have hopes that they would at least stay onthe surface till the engine could be started once more.
One after another Frank made the different tests employed to ascertainthe various troubles that may assail a gasolene motor. He tested theignition, the spark, the gasolene supply and the bearings. Everythingappeared to be all right, and he paused in a puzzled way before he wentto work on the carburetor. That is a delicate piece of mechanism, evento an ingenious boy like Frank Chester; but he finally concluded thatthe trouble must lie there. His first task was to open the relief cockand drain the brass bowl of the mixing chamber.
He turned the valve, and the mystery of the stoppage of the engine wasinstantly explained.
Sand had been placed in the carburetor by persons whom Frank had littledifficulty in mentally identifying.
"So that was what those rascals did!" he cried aloud. "No wonder wecouldn't find anything the trouble with the ship. They were too foxy forthat, and could hardly have found a better way of injuring the _SeaEagle_ than to do that."
"Is there any way of fixing the damage?" asked Dr. Perkins, who, withHarry, had hastened to Frank's side as he cried out over his discovery.
"Yes. Thank goodness, we've got a spare carburetor on board, for itwould take a week to clean out this. If no sand has got into thecylinders I think I can promise to get things going again before verylong."
Out of the locker in which the spare parts were kept Frank producedanother carburetor. But unscrewing the feed pipe and taking off the oldmixing chamber and adjusting the new one were tedious tasks, especiallyunder the circumstances in which Frank was compelled to work. But atlast it was done, and with a beating heart Frank adjusted theself-starter. A few seconds now would decide their fate.
Harry shivered in anticipation of failure as his brother, having got theengine going by the just mentioned appliance, turned on the gasolene andspark.
For a breathless instant their fate hung in the balance, and then therecame the welcome sound of the exhaust. Bit by bit Frank allowed thespeed to increase, till the engine was running at its full capacity ofrevolutions. But the propellers were not turning, as before testing themotor he had thrown the clutch out of gear.
"I think that we can try to rise now," he said calmly, after the motorhad run without a miss or a skip for ten minutes or so.
"I think so, too," said Dr. Perkins, "and I want to tell you, Frank,that you have done what I would not have believed possible under theconditions."
Another anxious moment followed when the clutch was thrown in and thefull load of the propellers came upon the engine. But not a hitchoccurred. The large-bladed driving fans of the _Sea Eagle_ beat the airrapidly and surely, and the hydroplane-formed underbody began to glideover the tops of the waves, instead of rolling and pitching helplesslyamong them. To the westward, too, there showed a patch of lighter sky,heralding the passing of the storm.
But, as if unwilling to allow them to escape without again bringingtheir hearts into their mouths, the storm had one more buffeting to givethem. As full power was applied, and the _Sea Eagle_ rose above thetossing wave crests and headed slantingly skyward, there came a suddenpuff of wind.
Skillful as Dr. Perkins was, it caught him momentarily unprepared. Inthe wink of an eye the _Sea Eagle_ careened over, almost on her "beamends." It seemed as if the right hand wing tips actually touched thewater. One inch more and there might have been an abrupt conclusion tothis story, but Dr. Perkins' hands seemed to be everywhere at once. Theyflashed among levers and wheels.
For the space of a breath the _Sea Eagle_ hung almost vertically, andthen the big craft suddenly righted and shot upward on an even keel oncemore. But the moment had been an awful one, and as they winged their wayupward not one aboard was there but felt that they had been deliveredfrom a dreadful fate by what might well be described as a miracle.
ONE INCH MORE AND THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN AN ABRUPTCONCLUSION TO THIS STORY.]