“What! in the Sea Eagle?”
“Why not? The roof is flat and big enough to give us room to land if we are careful.”
“Cracky! I think you’re right. Has anybody got a board?”
“Here you are,” exclaimed a man who had darted off to a lumber pile when he overheard Harry’s plan.
“Good! I think this will be long enough. Come on, Harry, let’s lose no time. See, the flames are almost at that part of the house.”
At top speed the two boys ran back to the Sea Eagle, calling to Dr. Perkins to join them. Hastily they explained what they meant to do. Dr. Perkins was inclined to doubt if the plan was feasible, but as it appeared to be the only way to save the woman and the child, he agreed to attempt it, grave though the risk of disaster to the Sea Eagle appeared to be.
While the excited men gathered about, and the woman’s cries still filled the air, the Sea Eagle was started up, and after circling about, dropped to the coach house roof. The big craft landed without mishap, but Frank reversed the engines barely in time to prevent her from rolling off. However, with the front wheels of the substructure on the very brink of the cornice, the Sea Eagle came obediently to a standstill.
They had brought the board with them, and it was shoved across to the woman, who saw at once what they intended to do. She secured it to the ledge of the window at which she had been standing, and Frank worked his way across the plank bridge and took the child in his arms. He recrossed in safety with it, and then came the woman’s turn to trust herself to the frail bridge. But she hesitated till smoke was pouring into the room, and then, fairly driven to try the slender support, she began to cross it.
From the coach house roof the boys called encouragingly to her, for the plank was far too weak to bear the weight of two persons. Even under Frank and the baby it had sagged ominously. Something in the woman’s face as she neared the end of her journey caused Frank to reach out toward her. It was well that he had the foresight to do so, for as she reached the end of her journey she suddenly fainted.
Another instant and she would have fallen forty feet to the ground, but Frank caught her dress in a strong grip. Luckily, it was of stout material and did not rip as he seized it. Dr. Perkins and Harry came to his aid the next minute, and with their united strength they managed to draw the woman’s limp form to safety.