rritability that had possessed Frank in the noise and
din, the crowding walls and swarming hordes of human beings, back in
the city. Below him lay the broad Atlantic, from their height seeming
smooth as a ball-room floor, with the surface calm and unruffled. No
land was in sight ahead. The water stretched to infinity, over the
edge of the world. For a wonder, not a sail broke that broad expanse
due south, although to the west were several streamers of smoke where
ships stood in for port, hull down on the far horizon, while closer
at hand was a little dot which Bob, swinging the glasses, made out to
be a four-masted schooner.

It was a long distance off, ten or fifteen miles, judged Bob. The tiny
plane was heading in that direction. Was it bearing away for the
schooner? The question leaped into Bob's mind. He put it into spoken
words, into the transmitter.

"There's a schooner southwest," he said. "The plane is going in that
direction. Bear up a trifle, Frank, and slow her down. Let's see
whether the plane is heading for it."

Frank slowed the engine and altered the course sufficiently to keep
the plane in view on the new tack, but not to bring them so close to
it as to arouse suspicion. In a few moments, all could see the tiny
speck coasting down on a long slant and Bob, watching through the
glasses, exclaimed excitedly:

"The little fellow is going to land. There, he's on the water now.
He's taxying close to the ship."

"I'm going to climb," stated Frank, suiting action to word.

"Good idea," said Jack. "Let me have the glasses a minute, Bob, will
you?"

Bob complied.

"I don't believe they know of our presence," Jack presently declared.
"Do you fellows consider the plane was forced to land? Is that how it
happened to come down near the schooner? There doesn't seem to be any
attempt to put out a boat and get the pilot."

"Forced to land, my eye," said Bob, repossessing himself of the
glasses. "Do you want to know what I think? I believe the pilot is
holding a confab with the schooner. By Jiminy, that's right, too. And
it's ended. He's taxying again, 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 ship as to lose it from sight, he again 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 alarm. Of