“If he overtakes us before we reach the village, we’ll be in for it.”
They chugged steadily up the broad Cedar, the other boat in tow behind them.
Less than five miles below the village the sound of the amphibian’s engines echoed over the valley and they turned to see the big ship winging swiftly toward them.
“Here comes trouble,” cried Ford. “We’d better hit for a bayou where we can find some shelter.”
Tim opened the throttle of the outboard wide and swung the nose of the boat sharply to the left. The amphibian was coming fast. It was going to be close. Little spurts of water rose near them. Sladek or someone else on the plane was shooting at them.
“Duck!” shouted Ford as the plane roared over them.
“That was close,” said Tim, pointing to the bottom of the boat where water was spurting through a half dozen holes.
“Get under the shelter of the trees. We’ll exchange boats.”
Tim shut off the outboard and they drifted under the dense foliage of the river bank. They pulled the other boat alongside and jumped into it. Tim glanced in the gas tank. There was plenty of fuel to finish the run to Auburn.
The amphibian was circling overhead, hunting for the prey which now was sheltered by the trees.