Though surprised that he should be requested to fly the plane, Johnny asked no questions, but, taking his place before the wheel, set the engines in motion and soon found himself gliding out over the sea.
“Sail straight out over them,” ordered Pant through the tube, “then hover there as best you can. Not too high though.”
Johnny followed instructions and was soon directly above the three large canoes. He could see the natives plainly. There were twenty or more of them in a canoe. Great, swarthy fellows they were, dressed in all manner of apparel, from a full suit of white duck to a mere breech cloth. They were heavily armed. Johnny was a little startled to note that many of them carried rifles. The plane was not out of range of a good rifle. The natives, apparently stupefied at the appearance of this gigantic bird, were staring upward, making no movement. Even their paddles were idle.
Presently a wisp of smoke rose from one of their canoes.
“That’s strange,” Johnny thought to himself.
The native nearest the spot leaped to one side, and there were frantic efforts to quench the little fire that had started in the side of the boat. While this was being accomplished, however, with all the natives bunched at that end of the boat, a second fire broke out in the other end of this canoe. This fire gained some headway before it was discovered. The boat began to leak. The natives flew into a panic. Some of them leaped overboard and swam toward the other canoes.
When a third blaze appeared in the boat a panic followed. Every native in the canoe forsook her. Plunging into the sea, they made haste to reach the remaining boats.
Pant looked down with interest while the burning boat, now in full blaze, sent flashes of light across the water.
When the last survivor of this strange wreck at sea was aboard the remaining boats, these crafts turned rightabout. Every oar and paddle was set doing double time to carry them out of these mysterious and terrible waters.
“Good thing it happened,” said Pant. “Don’t think we could have trusted them.”