CHAPTER XV.
A DROP FROM SPACE.
But even in that awful drop through space Ned's nerve did not deserthim. His brain worked faster, in the few seconds allowed it to doeffective work, than it had ever acted before.
Just as it seemed to those on board the battleship that the lad wasdoomed--in the event of the pontoons not working--to be drowned in thewreck of the aeroplane, they were astonished to see it recover andrise, from the very wave tips, in a graceful curve.
Straight up it shot--the motor whirring and buzzing deafeningly. Then,without an instant's hesitation, it dropped like a fish hawk toward thestern platform, and a moment later Ned Strong and his aeroplane restedon the solid foundation of the landing stage. The first flight fromland to a fighting ship's deck had been successfully performed, withan added thrill thrown in for good measure, as it were.
Before Ned could clamber out of his seat, the officers, assembledto view the test, came crowding up on the platform. The lad was notembarrassed, but he felt a slight sense of shyness, which speedily woreoff, as so many dignitaries pressed about him, shaking his hand andcongratulating him.
"Jove, lad, but you gave us a fright for a minute!" exclaimedone gray-mustached captain. "I didn't think it possible that aheavier-than-air craft could recover from such a tumble as you took."
"Yes, tell us about it, lad," urged another naval dignitary.
"Well, gentlemen," said Ned, "I guess it was just one of thoseaccidents that will happen in the best-regulated aeroplanes. Somethingwent wrong with the warping appliances, that was all."
"Aren't your nerves shaken?" asked a young officer. "You'd better havea glass of wine."
"Thank you, sir, I never touch alcoholic liquors," rejoined Ned simply."But I wouldn't mind a glass of water, sir. Flying is rather thirstywork."
An orderly was at once dispatched for a carafe and a glass, and whilehe was gone Ned obtained leave to locate and repair the break that hadcome so close to causing him disaster. It was soon found, and a newturnbuckle put on in place of the one that had cracked when a flaw inits construction parted.
By this time every jackie who could find business in the after part ofthe ship was on the decks below. A sea of faces was upturned to gaze atthe flying marvel.
Questions flew thick and fast.
"Would it be possible to carry a sharpshooter, for instance, from thedeck of this vessel, circle a hostile craft and return?" asked one ofthe naval officers standing about.
"I think so, sir," was Ned's response.
"Well, providing you feel there is no danger, why not try such anexperiment?" asked Commander Dunham, Ned's old chief officer.
"I should like to, above all things, sir," rejoined Ned, with sparklingeyes; "but who will go?"
"I think you will have no lack of volunteers," smiled Commander Dunham,as half a dozen young ensigns and midshipmen pressed forward. "Mr.Shrike, I think you are as good a subject as any. At any rate, sir,your weight will not seriously embarrass the craft."
Mr. Shrike proved to be an extremely thin young midshipman, whoseweight, as Commander Dunham had humorously hinted, was not excessive.In fact, among his intimates he was known as "The Shrimp."
He lost no time in preparing for the ride, providing himself with alight rifle. When all was in readiness, Ned showed him where to sit,and how to hold on, and then, the aeroplane having already been swungabout, he started up the engine once more. Several blue-jackets hadbeen detailed to hold the machine back, and at a given signal from Nedthey let go. The aeroplane shot from the platform out over the sternof the battleship, and soared out above the sea. As they shot past OldGlory, waving proudly at the stern, Ned saluted with one hand. Theyoung middy at his side followed his example.
The aeroplane took a perilous swoop as she dropped from the platform,but Ned had his craft well in hand. He averted the drop with a quickmovement and speedily swung out seaward.
"See, there is a small sloop off there," said Midshipman Shrikepresently. "Let's try if we can circle it, just as if it were a hostilevessel."
"Very well, sir," rejoined Ned, and steered straight for a white sailglistening some distance out at sea.
Closer and closer they drew to it, and before long they could see menon its deck pointing upward excitedly.
"They've seen us, anyway," laughed the middy. "Wonder if they thinkwe're some big sort of a gull?"
Suddenly, as they drew closer to the sloop, Ned saw one of the men goin the cabin for a moment and emerge with a gun--or at least somethingthat looked like one.
"Hullo! What's that fellow doing now?" asked Midshipman Shrike, as hesaw this. "Is that a gun he has there, Strong?"
"Looks like it, sir," rejoined Ned, "and he's----"
"Aiming at us, by Jove! Hi, there, you rascal, put that gun down!"
A puff of smoke came simultaneously with the words. It was followed bya screaming sound, as a bullet whizzed past the aerial voyagers. It wasfollowed by another and another, the rifle evidently being a repeater.
"I say, I can't stand this any longer," shrilled the middy, as Nedkept the aeroplane swinging in rapid circles. As he spoke, he jerkedthe rifle to his shoulder, and, with a cry of "Stop that shootinginstantly!" fired a shot across the sloop's bow. Ned could see thewhite water whipped up as the bullet ricochetted.
But, in firing his weapon, the young officer had released his hold withboth hands. At the same instant a puff of wind swung the aeroplanesharply on her beam ends. Ned righted her instantly, but, as he did so,he was horrified to observe that he was alone.
The sharp lurch had dislodged his companion, and below Ned saw himwhirling downward. The midshipman's body struck the water close by thesloop and instantly vanished.
With the automatic movements of one in a nightmare, Ned droppeddownward. As he did so, he was immensely relieved to see the youngofficer's head bob up to the surface for an instant. Ned shouted and ananswering hail came upward.
"Thank heaven, I've got the pontoons on," he thought.
But even while his mind and body were thus busied, Ned had time toobserve the sloop. She had taken advantage of the puff of wind, andwas now rapidly slipping off toward a not far distant point of land.Ned's eye took in her every detail. She was black and squat, yet with acertain raciness of line, and heavily canvassed. Round her bulwarks rana bright crimson line. She bore no name that Ned could see.
The aeroplane struck the water with a splash that threw the spray highabove her planes. But the pontoons saved her from being submerged. Amoment after she had struck the surface of the water she was floatinglike a sea-bird on its surface.
"Ahoy, there!" came a hail.
Ned glanced in the direction and saw the young middy striking outboldly for the floating aeroplane.
"Hurt, sir?" demanded Ned.
"Not a bit; the water's fine," was the cheery response. "But, confoundit all, I've lost my rifle."
Ned swung the aeroplane round, using the regular aerial propellers todrive her over the water. It was not many minutes before a dripping butcheerful middy was seated once more by his side.
"I say, Strong," he remarked, "I guess the less said about thisadventure the better. You understand. I had no business to fire atthose chaps on the sloop, as a matter of fact, but I couldn't help it.What do you think they fired at us for?"
"I've no idea, sir," was Ned's reply.
"Guess they were crazy, or had been drinking, or something."
"Possibly that was it, Mr. Shrike." But in the Dreadnought Boy's mindhe had reached a far different conclusion. The shots that whistledabout them had not been aimed by any irresponsible hand, of that he wassure. They had been aimed to do harm. That they had not succeeded wasdue to good fortune more than anything else. There were only certainmen whom Ned could think of who could be guilty of such an outrage.Those men were the implacable enemies of himself and Herc.
"Better cruise about a bit till I get dried out," said the middypresently. "If they ask us why we dropped like that, I'll say we weret
rying out the pontoons, eh?"
Ned agreed. He did not countenance untruths or an approach to them, asa rule, but in this case he felt that to tell the whole story mightget Midshipman Shrike in trouble, as well as involve him in somedifficulties. However, he resolved that if questions were asked, hewould tell the truth, as he would then have no other recourse. But, tohis relief, no interrogations were put to him, and he supposed that themidshipman had explained the case, as was, indeed, the fact.
Soon after their return, Ned winged back to the shore. Here he was therecipient of more congratulations, but his mind was busy elsewherethan with his signal triumph in aerial navigation. As soon as he gota chance, he sought out Herc. The astonishment of the freckle-facedDreadnought Boy, on hearing the news, may be imagined.
"Then you are sure that it was Muller and that crowd?" he asked.
"Practically certain," rejoined Ned. "Who else would have done such athing?"
"Do you think they have some rendezvous in the neighborhood?"
"I'm sure of it. Their possession of the sloop indicates that. I'd liketo unearth their hiding-place and put the rascals to rout."
"So would I," agreed Herc, "and maybe we will. At any rate, that sloopshould be easy to identify."
"Yes. We'll keep a bright lookout, and perhaps before long we may havesomething tangible to work on."
That time was to come sooner than they expected.