When Frank lowered the glasses Pudge gave a soft wheeze, as though he had been fairly holding his breath meanwhile; then as soon as the other started to look again Pudge resumed his former occupation of watching for signs.
Even the longest night must have its end, and this absorbed vigil on the part of the fat boy was not without receiving its reward.
When Frank, on the next occasion, not only hastily lowered the glasses but passed them along to Billy, Pudge knew the crisis had arrived at last.
"There they come!" cried Billy, as soon as he had clapped the smaller end of the field glasses to his eyes. "Oh! what a raft of them I can see! Must be a hundred in that bunch, Frank, anyway, all of fifty if there's one!"
But Frank knew how Billy was prone to exaggerate, without meaning to deceive.
"Let M. Le Grande take a look, Billy," he suggested, which aroused the other to a remembrance of the fact that they had as their guest a most famous aviator who should be treated with every consideration.
Pudge did not ask to look. He was too busy watching Frank, who had made as if to turn on the power and start things going. For, after skimming over the surface of the water, the big seaplane would mount up like a bird on the wing.
"Zip! we're off!" cried Billy, as he heard the familiar whir of the motors, and felt the forward push of the sea and air craft.
Pudge was not so accustomed to being aboard one of the _Sea Eagles_ when starting out on a cruise. His father, knowing the customary clumsiness of Pudge, had preferred as a rule that the fat boy stay upon the solid ground while his more agile chums attempted the aërial stunts.
But Pudge complained so much that Frank had thought it best to let him accompany them on this wonderful journey. It was likely to eclipse anything they had ever experienced before, and must ever remain as a memory worth while.
The speed increasing, they were soon rushing over the surface of the harbor at a furious rate. Then, as Frank slanted the ascending rudder, they left the water to course upward at a low angle, which, however, could be increased as they circled the harbor.
Loud cheers came to their ears from the shore, where that crowd had been standing. They were echoed, too, from several other points, showing that all Dunkirk must be on the alert this morning, as though it might be in the air that wonderful things were about to transpire.