“Fogo Island, almost dead ahead to port.”
Bob and Buck were on the port gallery when Ned joined the excited pair.
“Gentlemen,” exclaimed Ned taking out his watch, “we shall lose five hours by the time we reach London. Since our next points of bearing will be reached under London time we may as well change our watches now as later. When we pass Fogo Island I suggest we move our time pieces ahead five hours.”
“Fogo Island and eight fifty-nine P. M.,” exclaimed Alan a few minutes later.
“Fogo Island and one fifty-one A. M.,” announced Ned laughing.
And as the hands of four watches flew to the new time, the flight over sea began.
CHAPTER XIX
A CHANGE OF PLANS BY WIRELESS
Fogo Island, bleak, uninhabited and wave drenched, is now known for nothing except that it is the only island cut by the great circle or shortest course between New York and London. In time it will be known as the intermediate land station on the aerial route between these two great cities. It lies in 50° west longitude and 50° 40´ north latitude.
At one minute of two o’clock on the morning of June 22, by the altered watches, and eight o’clock and fifty-nine minutes by the unaltered chronometer, the Ocean Flyer cleared this vague, rocky point and headed S. 79-1/2° E. at an elevation of 2,500 feet. For 146 miles the airship was to hold this course. It seemed strange to Buck to see the compass showing a course east by south which, in his judgment, presaged a landing in France.