Air Service Boys over the Atlantic; Or, The Longest Flight on Record

by E. J. Craine

  CHAPTER XXII

  WHEN THE ICEBERG ROLLED OVER

  Fortunately Tom had everything ready for an immediate start, acting underorders, Jack and Beverly having previously changed the position of thebig plane, so that it now faced the run taken when landing.

  This brought the wind back of them; but that would be an asset ratherthan a detriment. They had also gone hastily over the course to makeabsolutely certain there was no break, or other trap, which might givethem serious trouble.

  "Jump aboard, both of you!" cried Tom, still keeping his head--a luckything, since to get "rattled" in such a crisis might prove fatal.

  The beating of the engine and the whirr of the propellers announced thatthey were off. On the comparatively smooth ice it was easy to make astart unassisted by mechanics or hostlers.

  Jack's heart seemed to be in his throat, and he waited in feverishsuspense to learn whether success or failure was to be their fortune.Faster now grew their progress, but would the stretch of ice prove along enough area to give them the necessary momentum?

  Every second they expected to hear horrible grinding noises from behind,such as must accompany the toppling over of the berg. Even the splash ofwaves against the further side of the big ice-floe seemed like thepounding of a monster hammer, at least to Jack's excited imagination.

  They were now drawing perilously near the brink. Was Tom ever going toelevate the plane and attempt the rise from the flat surface of the ice?

  Just when it seemed to Jack that hope must yield to despair he realizedthat the jumpy motion of the plane ceased suddenly. He knew what thismeant, and that Tom had finally shown his hand, for they no longer bumpedalong but began to move through space!

  Then Jack fell back, breathing freely again. Success had rewarded theirefforts, and once more the big bomber was speeding through its ownelement on the wings of the wind.

  But it had indeed been a narrow escape for the adventurous trio; forhardly had they started to swing upward into space when from behind themarose a series of horrible crashings, gurglings, and the mad splashing ofwater, telling that in truth the giant berg had carried out its threatand rolled completely over, playing havoc with the entire floe.

  No one spoke immediately. In fact, none of them could have uttered aword, no matter how hard he had tried. In each young heart a feeling ofintense gratitude reigned, as well as a sensation of horror, for only toowell did they know what their immediate fate must have been had theyremained prisoners on the ice but another two minutes.

  Tom pointed the nose of the plane directly into the southwest. He evenseemed to be getting additional speed out of his motors, as though benton making up for the lost time.

  All of them began to settle down for another long monotonous period withthe whole night before them. Far from comfortable might be theirsituation, but not a single complaint would be heard. All they asked wasthat things might go on as they were, with the plane reeling off knotafter knot of the cruise into the west.

  After a while Jack remembered that Tom had had but a bite of supper.Accordingly he got out the supplies and proceeded to serve them. Then hetook Tom's place for a while and held the airship true to her course.

  They kept about five hundred feet or so above the sea. Somehow itgave them a little encouragement just to catch the glint of thestars on the tumbling waves below. There was a friendliness in thebillows, a something that seemed to keep them in contact with theirfellow men; a thing which they missed when passing along two thousandfeet or more above the surface of the terrestrial globe, even beyondthe floating clouds.

  So the long vigil was taken up. Hour after hour the giant bomber mustwing its swift flight, ever speeding onward into the realm of spacethrough which it was now making a voyage unequalled since Columbus sailedhis three high-decked boats into that unknown ocean at the end of whichhe expected to come to the East Indies.

  By turns they managed to get some sleep, each serving his trick as pilot.

  The hours grew into early morning. How eagerly did the pilot often turnhis tired head to gaze backward toward the east, to see if but the firstfaint gleam of coming dawn had appeared there. And how joyfully did hewelcome it when that desire became reality.

  So the unfolding day found them, still heading onward, and witheverything promising well. Jack, of course, had his binoculars out assoon as it was possible to see any distance. Shortly afterwards he madean important announcement.

  "Smoke head of us, fellows. Much too much to come from any one steamer.You can see it with the naked eye, dead on there!"

  After taking a good look, Tom, who was at the wheel, gave his opinion.

  "It might be a vessel afire," he said slowly. "One of those tank-oilsteamers would make a fierce smoke, you know. But on the whole I ratherbelieve it's a convoy of troop ships going across to France."

  "I never thought of that, Tom!" cried Jack, again clapping the glasses tohis eyes; "but I reckon you're right, for I can see funnels of blacksmoke rising from different quarters. Yes, there must be dozens of boatsin that flotilla. What had we better do?"

  "Go aloft, and try to keep out of sight among the little clouds," was theimmediate reply Tom made. "We could continue to watch, and see all thatpassed below, at the same time keeping ourselves fairly invisible.They'll hardly be looking up so as to discover a speck floating past. Andthen again all that smoke is bound to make it difficult for them to see."

  He lost no time in commencing a spiral climb for altitude, boring upwardwith the powerful bomber in a way that was wonderful.

  By degrees they attained the height desired, and once again did Tom headinto the southwest. Jack reported what he saw from time to time, callingabove the noise made by engines and propellers.

  "It's a big convoy, all right," he told them. "I can see ever so manysteamships following one another in double column. Each is loaded withour boys in khaki, I presume. Then off on either side and ahead arelittle specks that I can just make out by reason of their smokestreamers. Those must be the score or more of destroyers, guarding theflotilla against U-boat attack. It's a great sight, let me tell you!Here, Colin's getting out his glasses to take a look. Tom, you must havea chance too."

  Each in turn managed to survey the stirring spectacle as spread out uponthe sea far beneath them. And the pulses of those gallant lads throbbedwith pardonable pride when they realized what magnificent efforts Americawas making to win the war in favor of the Allies, after entering it solate herself.

  Gradually the great smoke cloud began to grow more distant, the fleetwith its convoy having passed by, continuing to head into the east, wherethe lurking U-boat would possibly be waiting to attack.

  "That was a great sight!" exclaimed Tom, as their attention again turnedto possibilities lying before them, rather than what had passed by.

  "Never forget it as long as I live!" Jack declared vehemently.

  "It's been a good thing for us in more than one way," Tom went on to say."You see, personally, I've been just a bit in doubt about our actualbearings; and this has set me straight. I can put my finger on the actualspot on the chart where we'd be likely to meet the fleet. So now we'vegot to change our course sharply."

  "Running more into the south-southwest, you mean, I suppose, Tom?"asked Beverly.

  "Just that," continued the acting pilot. "We want to strike the Virginiashore, you understand, and right now we're off Long Island. After severalhours on our new course we'll again make a sharp swing into the west, andthen look for land!"

  "And that land, oh, joy! will be our own America!" cried Jack, his facefairly beaming with expectation.

  They kept booming along on the new course for several hours, and as itdid not seem necessary to continue at such a great altitude they againdescended to the old familiar line of flight, with the sea about fivehundred feet below.

  "Given another hour," Tom said, along about the middle of the morning,"and it will be time to strike for the west. We must be off Delaware orthe tip of Maryland right now. Jack just reporte
d a faint glimpse ofland, but wasn't sure it might not be a low-hanging cloud bank."

  "And now we're in for another experience, I'm afraid," called out Jack,"for there's a nasty sea fog sweeping along from the south. We're boundto drive into it before five minutes more--the first real mist blanket tostrike us all the way across."

  Jack's prediction proved no idle one, for in less than the time specifiedthey found themselves suddenly enveloped by a dense mantle of mistthrough which it would have been utterly impossible to have seen anythinga hundred feet away.

  Tom for one did not like the coming of that fog just when they were aboutto drew near the land of their hopes. Unlike a vessel, they could notcome to anchor and ride it out, waiting for the fog to lift; but mustdrive on, and desperately strive to find some sort of landing.

  "The thickest fog I ever saw!" Jack observed, after they had been passingthrough the moist gray blanket of mist for some little time.

  "Just the usual kind you'll meet with on the sea at times," answered thelieutenant. "I was caught in one when out on the fishing banks, and itwasn't any too pleasant a feeling it gave me either. But for our compasswe'd never have reached shore again."

  "And but for the compass right now," said Tom, "it would be next toimpossible to steer a straight course."

  "One good thing," Jack told them; "very little danger of a collision,such as vessels are likely to encounter in so dense a fog."

  "No, the air passage across the Atlantic hasn't become so popular yetthat we have to keep blowing a fog horn while sailing," laughed Colin.

  All of them were feeling considerably brighter, now that their wonderfulventure seemed to be drawing close to a successful termination. If onlytheir luck held good and allowed them to make a safe landing, they feltthey would have good reason for gratitude.

  "What makes it feel so queer at times?" Jack asked later on. "Why, I seemto have the blood going to my head, just as happened when looping theloop, and hanging too long in stays."

  "I've noticed the same thing myself," added Colin briskly, "and tried tofigure out the cause. Tom, what do you say about it?"

  "A queer situation has arisen, according to my calculation," the pilottold them. "Fact is, without being able to see a solitary thing anywhereabout us, above or below, it's often impossible to know when we'resailing on a level keel, or flying upside down!"

  "That's a fact," admitted Lieutenant Beverly. "When you haven't theslightest thing to guide you, stars, sun, or earth, how can you tellwhich is up or which is down? We go forward because of the compass; butpart of the time I do believe, just as you say, Tom, we've been flyingupside-down!"

  "I don't fancy this way of flying," Tom announced. "I think it would bebetter for us to climb in order to see if we can get out of thispea-soup."

  "Ditto here!" echoed Jack. "I'm getting dizzy, with it all, and my headfeels twice as heavy as ordinary. You can't mount any too soon toplease me, Tom."

  Lieutenant Beverly was not averse, it seemed, so the call becameunanimous.

  "All we want is to sight land," the Lieutenant remarked. "Then we canstart for the interior, and try to pick a nice soft spot for landingwithout getting all smashed up."

  Later on he was reminded of that wish by Jack, for they certainly foundsuch a spot, as future events proved.

  By climbing to a considerable height it was found that they could avoidthe uncomfortable experiences that had befallen them closer to thesurface of the ocean. Here the sun was shining, and while clouds floatedaround them there was no longer a chance of the plane being inverted.

  Jack could make out land at times, though still faintly seen, and lyinglow on the uncertain horizon.

  "I wonder if that can be Virginia I see?" he sometimes said; but talkingmore to himself than trying to make the others hear.

  "It isn't far away at most, Jack," Beverly assured him; for hesympathized with Jack and the reason the other had for longing to get tothe home town ahead of his scheming cousin.

  "Show me the chart and just about where we ought to be right now, Tom,"said Jack. "That is, if it's no trouble."

  "No trouble to do it," came the quick reply, and with a pencil Tom made across on the chart while Jack's eyes danced with joy.

  "Then that must be Virginia off there to the west!" he cried, againsnatching up the glasses for another earnest look.

  Tom watched him out of the corner of his eye. Well did he know that asJack feasted his gaze upon the far distant land in imagination he wasseeing that dearly loved home, with the friends who were so precious tohim, and in fancy receiving their warm greetings.

  They continued on for some little time. Tom felt pretty confident thathe was correct, though he would be glad to have some confirmation ofhis figuring.

  "The fog is thinning some!" he finally stated, "and I think we'd betterseek a lower level."

  "Might as well," added Beverly, approving of the idea instantly.

  "Yes," added Jack, "when the time comes to fly landward we'll want to bedown far enough to see where we're going. We needn't be afraid any longerof making a sensation, because seaplanes must be cruising over thesewaters nearly every day, coming from the station near Fortress Monroe atHampton Roads."

  Accordingly it was not long before they were skirting the upper reachesof the diminishing fog bank, being about a thousand feet or so above thesea itself. Now and then slight rifts appeared in the disappearing mist,and at such intervals it was possible for them to catch fleeting glimpsesof the Atlantic, whose wide expanse they had successfully spanned, anevent that would make history, if only it could ever be publicly known.

  Jack could no longer see the low shore, much to his distress; but thenhe knew positively it was there, and when the time came to changetheir course directly into the west a brief flight would carry themover the land.

  It really mattered little to him where they made their landing, since hewould be able to find a way of reaching Bridgeton within a few hours. Heconsulted his little wrist watch again and again.

  Tom was more than a little amused to see Jack even clap it close to hisear. He knew the reason of his doing this, for time was crawling on soslowly in the estimation of the impatient one that he even suspected thefaithful little watch had ceased to go, though its steady ticking musthave speedily assured him such could not possibly be the case.

  "Listen!" Lieutenant Beverly suddenly called out.

  A strange weird sound came faintly to their ears. Even above all thenoise of their working engine they could make it out. To any one who camefrom the interior of the country it might have seemed a bewilderingsound, and have called up strange fancies connected with marine monstersthat were said to have once inhabited these waters near the Gulf Stream.

  But the trio of voyagers had lived too long near the coast not torecognize a fog-siren when they heard its strident call.

  Jack in particular was exultant.

  "Tell me, is that the anchored light-ship's siren, Tom, do you think?" hedemanded, with considerable excitement.

  The pilot nodded his head, and with a finger pointed to a dot on thechart to indicate that it could be nothing else.

  "I presume, Tom," Jack went on to say, "you came down when you did partlyto catch that sound as we came near the shoals where the lightship standsguard day and night the whole year through."

  "Well, I had that in mind," came the answer, "for, as I said before,while feeling pretty sure of my bearings I thought I'd like to have themverified. And now you can see I wasn't much out of the way."

  "You've done splendidly, Tom," said Beverly, clapping the other heartilyon the back. "We've all carried ourselves like true Americans throughthis whole affair; and it'll afford us considerable satisfaction when welook back on the wonderful trip."

  "And now, Tom, hadn't we better turn toward the shore?" asked Jack.

  "Just as soon as we get over the lightship I will know how to steer,Jack. Keep cool, and before long you'll be looking down on our belovedVirginia once again."

  "You make m
e mighty happy when you say that, Tom. Many times I'vewondered if I'd ever see it again, we've been overseas so long and in somany perils while doing our duty. How fine it'll be to stand once moreon the soil where both of us were born, and know we've done a pretty bigthing in crossing the Atlantic by the new air route!"

  They fell silent again after that, but not for long. Louder and clearercame the frequent long-drawn wails of the steam fog-horn, until finallyit seemed evident they were almost exactly above the lightship that, asTom knew, was anchored on the shoals to warn mariners of their danger bymeans of a far-reaching lamp and the powerful siren's hoarse voice.

  "Now we'll strike in for the land!" called out Tom, his announcementcausing Jack to thrill with delight, while Beverly too showed hispleasure in broad smiles.

  Soon afterwards they were speeding due west, with Jack gluing his eyes tohis glasses and reporting every few minutes fresh signs of vastimportance. Virginia soon lay beneath them, to announce that they hadcompleted their wonderful flight across the Atlantic.