When the last stretch of land had been left behind, Bob and Joe were thoughtfully silent. What if anything should happen while they were out here above the boundless water, with no place near on which to land? It was not pleasant to think of plunging hundreds of feet into the ocean, even though the water might be calm.
As they flew farther, Joe was surprised that they had not seen ships below them.
“This isn’t a route of travel,” explained Mr. Holton. “We probably won’t see any large liners till we get farther south.”
Later they were able to make out several tramp steamers, which, when viewed at that altitude, appeared to be at a standstill. Just where the vessels were heading the air travelers could only guess.
Suddenly, unexpectedly, the youths and the naturalists found themselves in a heavy cloud, which hid the ocean from view. It was so dark that Mr. Wallace almost mechanically switched on a light.
“Wonder if this means danger?” mused Joe, gazing intently out of the window at the haze.
“I was wondering the same thing,” came from Mr. Holton. “If it does, we ought to hear from Karl before long.”
But before long they passed out of the cloud and once more could see the ocean. But now the sun was nowhere in sight.
“We may have some rain,” said Karl through the telephone. “Be sure all the windows are closed tightly.”
Bob wondered if rain would be a hindrance to flying, although he hesitated to put the question before Karl. If the truth were known, he was not a little worried.