“Think you’ll have any trouble contacting the _Belmonia_?” Wells asked the pilot.
Dave French smiled and shook his head. “No, I have her position. But we ought to get started so we can get back before dark.”
Flash and Joe climbed into the cockpit. Before the plane could take to the water, a man came out of a building, and ran toward them, waving his hand.
“Riley of the _Ledger_ just telephoned,” the man informed. “He says the captain of the _Belmonia_ refuses to pick up a passenger.”
“Then the trip is off!” Wells exclaimed in disgust. “I was afraid of this. Sorenson is one of the worst crabs on the line.”
“Did Riley say we were to come back to the office?” Flash inquired thoughtfully.
“He didn’t say anything about that. His message was that the captain wouldn’t pick up a passenger.”
Wells had started to climb from the cockpit, but Flash pulled him back.
“Riley didn’t order us not to make the trip. Why don’t we try anyway?”
“That _is_ a brilliant brain wave,” Wells said scornfully. “We’d have a trip for nothing, run up a nice bill, and get fired for our trouble!”
“Maybe not, Joe. We’d be taking a chance all right, but I have a hunch we can get aboard the _Belmonia_.”
“Listen, Joe, sea captains are supposed to have humanitarian instincts, aren’t they? If Sorenson saw a fellow swimming in the ocean miles from shore wouldn’t steam away and let him drown, would he?”
“Sorenson might,” replied Wells. “No ordinary trick will work with him. But what’s your scheme?”
“It’s simple. Dave flies us out to meet the _Belmonia_. When we’re certain we’ve attracted attention, one of us jumps overboard—”
“Breaking a leg, smashing six ribs, not to mention a neck—”
“It could be done, couldn’t it?” Flash demanded of the pilot.
“Yes, I could fly low enough so a person wouldn’t be slapped very hard,” Dave French answered reluctantly. “But why not land the plane on the water?”
“With a seaplane handy, Sorenson never would pick up a fellow. My idea is to jump, then have the plane fly back to shore.”
“And who is to do the jumping, brother?” inquired Wells.
“Do you realize that if Sorenson doesn’t pick you up, it would mean curtains?”
“He will,” Flash said confidently. “The only risk is that he might not see me in the water. But if I jump it will attract attention.”