CHAPTER XIV A DESPERATE VENTURE
Mike and Tony had been gone a half hour when Jeanne came up to the smalldock next to the entrance to the trail. Plumdum was at her heels.
"Cap-Captain Frey!" she exclaimed as she met the fire fighter on thetrail, "did my friend, Flor-Florence come this way?"
"I'm afraid she did."
"Is she in danger?" Jeanne tried to read his face.
"I am afraid she is. However, two boys went in after her. They may findher."
"But if they don't?"
"It's going to be bad." He frowned. "The wind changed. She's likely to betrapped."
"Oh," Jeanne stood first on one foot, then on the other. Whining low,Plumdum, sensing her troubles, brushed against her.
Of a sudden a bright idea took possession of the little French girl."There's a hydroplane tied up at the dock," she exclaimed. "Where's thepilot?"
"There are three of us that take a turn at it," said the captain.
"Then--then," she caught her breath. Jeanne had flown a great deal. Sheloved the air as a seaman loves the sea. "Why couldn't we circle overthem? We--we might find them a way out."
"It's an idea!" said the captain. "Come on!"
"What about Plumdum?" Jeanne asked.
"Take him along. We might want to throw him overboard just to let themknow we're interested," the captain chuckled.
"No!" Jeanne was shocked.
"It's an idea at that." He was hurrying now. "Can he wriggle out of aharness?"
"Oh! Always!"
Jeanne was thinking, "What's he got on his mind now?"
The captain said no more. A moment later opportunity for talk was gone,the motor was roaring. They were away.
Racing down the bay they rose in the air, circled over the tree tops,circled once again, then shot away above the smoke-whitened island.
Had it not been for the fear in Jeanne's heart regarding the safety ofher good pal, she would have enjoyed this to the full. Here they passedover the glorious blue of the bay and there the dark green of islandforest. Here all was blotted out by billowing white clouds and there wasdense black smoke, edged by flames that appeared to reach for them.
"How terrible to fall into a burning forest from the air," she thoughtwith a shudder.
Then she saw something that set her pulling at the pilot's shoulder."There!" she screamed. "There they are!" She pointed straight down.
Little room was left for doubt. In a field of dark green a white spotstood out plainly and beside it two dark ones. The white spot would beFlorence in slacks and a white blouse, the other two Mike and Tony.
They circled low. Jeanne saw those below wave white handkerchiefs.
Once again the plane shot upward. Three times the pilot circled the spot.Three times Jeanne's keen eyes sought for a possible way out and threetimes she failed. It seemed to her that her friends were completelyencircled by flames, that the wall of fire from the west was closing inand that nothing could save them. Involuntarily she pressed Plumdum toher breast.
Three minutes later the plane was at rest on the beautifully quiet bay.
"The situation is difficult but not hopeless." The Captain spoke rapidly."There is not a minute to lose. There is a break in the fire up the ridgetoward the north. It's hidden from them by smoke. They can't see it. Ifwe had some way to tell them."
"Can we land?" Jeanne was eager.
"In a hydroplane on dry earth and rocks?" he stared at her.
"A parachute," she volunteered. "I--I've baled out. Three times."
"No parachute," the captain groaned. "If we had one I wouldn't let yourisk it. You'd get hung in a tree and be roasted to a turn.
"But say!" he exclaimed. "There is a parachute of a sort." He begandigging into a leather pocket. "Here it is, a dog parachute. Belongs tomy dog over at camp. I've dropped him a score of times. He likes it.
"And there's your dog," his voice picked up. "I--I'll just draw a crudemap, showing where the gap is, write a note and tie it to the dog'scollar. Then he'll make a parachute flight. If they don't see him, he'ssure to wriggle out of the harness. We'll put it on rather loosely. Afterhe's free he'll circle and find them. Sure to. Any dog will do that. Andhe knows your big girl friend, doesn't he?"
"Plumdum?" Jeanne could scarcely speak.
"Yes, your dog."
"Yes--yes. Oh, yes, he knows Florence."
"Then is it a go?"
"Yes, I--guess-- Yes. Sure it is!"
"Poor Plumdum!" Jeanne was thinking, and then, "Poor Florence."
Ten minutes later, as the hydroplane once again left the water to soarwide and high, Jeanne sensed rather than felt that the wind was pickingup.
"We'll have to hurry," she shrilled in the pilot's ear.
The pilot nodded as he put on a sudden burst of speed.