What with his own weight, and the fact that his clothes were dripping
with water, the addition of the new passenger caused the delicately
constructed and already heavily freighted hydroplane to sink more
deeply.
Frank, in that supreme moment realized that it would be almost a
hopeless task to think of once more flying, with such a cargo aboard.
Possibly the best they could do would be to keep afloat, and hope that
the pursuing tug might come up with them before the darkness set in;
and they could all be rescued.
Now that the first of the imperiled airmen had been hauled aboard, there
remained but Casper Blue himself. The wreck had not as yet sunk wholly,
since, relieved from the weight of the heavy man, it seemed to possess
enough buoyancy to remain on the surface of the water. But this could be
only for a short time; the planes would soon be thoroughly soaked, and
then the end must come, when the clinging man would find himself
deprived of all support, and must swim or go down.
He had something of a half defiant look on his small sunburned face, as
he saw Andy trying to draw the wreck toward him, with the evident
intention of giving him the next opening. Perhaps he was half inclined
to take his chances as he was, rather than allow these two boys to make
him a prisoner.
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