Hastening back to the control compartment, Peter found that the for'ard motors were now firing spasmodically. In a few moments they would cease functioning for lack of fuel, and then there was nothing to keep the flying-boat from descending with fair rapidity. Her weight and relatively small plane-area were against her for prolonged gliding.
He touched his uncle on the shoulder and motioned him away from the controls.
"Luck's out this time," he said grimly. "It's a thundering big drop in the dark."
CHAPTER XVI
"Crashed"
Peter had barely resumed charge, when the motors coughed and stopped. A deadly silence succeeded the purr of the engines, since the rush of air past the metal planes was inaudible within the sound-proof compartment.
It was the pilot's chief concern to keep the flying-boat up as long as possible. It was entirely beyond reason to suppose that the gliding would be prolonged till dawn, but the longer the aircraft kept up the better, since there would be more time to make preparations for the forced landing.
Planing as nearly in a horizontal direction as possible for two minutes, was followed by a short steep rise until the flying-boat seemed in danger of "stalling". This manoeuvre Peter repeated, knowing that for every hundred feet of vertical drop he could knock off twenty or more by the sudden leap against gravity.
For quite twenty minutes he held on, his hand dexterously manipulating the controls, while his eyes never left the altimeter and speed-indicator.