“The hydroplanes will keep us afloat a little while,” said Jerry in a tense voice, as he looked about as if for some other means of averting the disaster that was about to overtake them. “But I’m afraid it’s so rough down there we won’t float long. The pontoons will be wrenched off by the waves.”
“Then we’d better get on our bathing suits!” put in Bob, with grim humor.
“You mean life preservers, Chunky!” cried Ned. “And that’s a good stunt, too. I’ll get them out.”
Ever since the motor boys had arranged their craft to navigate over water they had carried life preservers aboard, and it was the work of only a few seconds for Ned to get them out.
“Here, Professor!” he called to the scientist, who was nervously packing up his collection of specimens, as though he could take them with him; “here, put on one of these. We may have to swim for it!”
“We’ll be lucky if we can swim,” muttered Jerry.
Fortunately, when the Comet was struck by the bolt of lightning she had been well up in the air, and now, as she began to fall, there was a considerable distance for her to go. This gave the boys and Professor Snodgrass a little time to prepare for whatever fate had in store for them.
There were looks of despair on all their faces, for not only did they fear for their lives, but it was heart-breaking to know that their fine craft had to meet such an end. And there seemed no way of saving her.
Plunging down toward the ocean as she was, about to be engulfed far from the shore, there appeared to be no hope for her. In the semi-darkness of the cabin the motor boys looked at one another. All the electric lights had been put out by the shock, and only one emergency oil lamp, always kept going in anticipation of some accident, gave illumination.