“Danny!” Sally gripped his arm tight. “Just circle over that spot, slowly.” She stood up.
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going over the side. I’m a good swimmer, I can save him.”
“Here—take the controls. I’ll go.”
“I can’t fly a plane, never have.”
“Okay, good girl! Here’s luck to you. Here, take this.” He dragged a rubber raft from beneath his feet.
Tucking the raft under her left arm and gripping the ripcord with her right hand, Sally opened the cabin door, stood there for a few seconds, and then she was gone.
CHAPTER TEN
SALLY SAVES A LIFE
Fifty seconds is not a lot of time but Sally had taken her chute training seriously. In just that many seconds she did several things. She pulled her ripcord, waited breathless, then felt the pull of the opening chute.
Finding that she was facing the wind, she turned herself about. Looking down, she judged that she would hit the water only fifty yards or so from Major Storm’s rapidly vanishing plane. Catching the raft by its edges she held it before her and waited. Ten seconds later, as the lapping waves reached for her, she did a sort of swan dive and landed flat with the raft beneath her.