But they were soon recalled to the seriousness of their situation. In the east the day was beginning to dawn, and a return to sleep was out of the question after all that had occurred.
“I guess I’ll get to work with the wireless,” said Jack, “it’s our only hope.”
“Unless we could swim ashore,” said Captain Andrews. “It isn’t more than five miles off.”
“True. But from what we could see yesterday it is a rugged, inhospitable shore,” said Mr. Jesson.
“Most anything would be better than this, though, so long as it was the mainland,” said Ned.
“Yes, if only the old Flying Road Racer would have kept in the air half an hour longer,” groaned Tom, “we might have used her as an auto to reach some civilized spot.”
“We could easily have done that,” struck in Jack. “The engine and running gear are in perfect order. So far as that is concerned, she is ready for a road trip of a thousand miles right now.”
“You ought to have fixed it so she could swim, while you were about it,” said Ned.
He meant the remark as a joke; but Jack answered quite seriously.
“I’ve been thinking over such a plan,” he said; “maybe some day I’ll get to work and invent something that will make the good old craft as capable in the water as she is on land and in the air.”