Andy looked anxiously at the sky. "I'm afraid the wind is changing," he said. "We shall be blown right out of our way if it does. The sea is getting very rough, Tom. I think we'd both better tie ourselves firmly to the mast. It won't do for either of us to be thrown off the raft—and a big wave could easily dash one of us overboard!"
So they tied themselves to the mast, and then watched the scurrying clouds, wondering if they would suddenly slow down—and fly the other way!
Chapter 23
A Wonderful Surprise
Alas for Tom and Andy! The wind did change and blew strongly the other way. Andy took down the sail hurriedly. "We don't want to be blown back to our island!" he said. "We must just bob along without a sail now and hope for the best. When the wind changes again we'll put up the sail once more."
"I wonder if the enemy has found out that we've escaped," said Tom. "They might send a seaplane out after us if they found out we've gone. They'd know we were on a raft."
"Well, the girls wouldn't give us away, that's certain," said Andy. "But the enemy might easily guess we'd make a raft, if they searched the island for us and missed us—and they could send out a seaplane or two to hunt the seas for us. We're a good way from the island now—but a seaplane could easily find us."
"I hope one doesn't," said Tom. "Isn't this wind hateful, Andy? It just won't stop! It's wasting all our time."
The wind blew cold. The sun was behind the clouds. Big waves slapped around the raft and seemed really spiteful. "Almost as if they want to snatch us off," said Tom, tightening the rope that tied him safely to the mast. He shivered. There was no shelter at all on the open raft, and no way of getting warm or dry now that the sun was not to be seen.
"Do a few arm exercises, Tom," said Andy, "That will get you a bit warmer!"