“Got it fixed. Be out of this in a jiffy!” the other shouted, for there was so much racket around them that words spoken in an ordinary tone could never have been heard.
Then Billy forgot about the crackling shrapnel and the circling Taubes. He had caught the familiar whir of the propellers as the motors started once more upon their work. It was a very soothing sound to Billy’s wrought up nerves.
Immediately the Sea Eagle began to speed forward. Frank’s first act was to set the suction pump to work emptying the great wings of gas, and sending it back to the reservoir intended for storage purposes. This was done because they could never hope to attain any great amount of speed otherwise.
When they were falling, the boys had heard what seemed to be a concerted roar from thousands of lusty throats below. This they knew had indicated the sudden delight of the watching and deeply interested soldiers in the aërial mishap that appeared to have overtaken the wonderful Yankee invention.
These shouts kept up more or less while the anti-aircraft guns were furiously bombarding the nearly stationary seaplane; but as soon as the latter started off again, as though in disdain at their futile efforts, the noise ceased like magic.
Frank first of all mounted higher, until none of the bursting bombs came anywhere near them. Then, feeling perfectly safe from this danger, he set his course toward the southwest.
“Heading home, are you, Frank?” asked Billy, not at all disappointed, for their trial spin certainly had contained enough thrills and dangers to satisfy even such a greedy lover of adventure as the one-time reporter.
“Yes, we’ve done all we set out to attempt, and a good deal more into the bargain,” replied Frank, casting a cautious look to the right and left, not meaning to be taken off his guard by any venturesome German pilot aboard a Taube machine, who might risk all in a last attempt to cripple this amazing seaplane that outclassed anything they possessed.
“You’ve finished pumping the gas back again into the reservoir, haven’t you, Frank? Do you think there was much loss?”
“Not a bit more than two per cent., for we’ve tested that before,” he was informed.