"I think not," replied the sub confidently. "He told me he was on leave till the day after to-morrow."
"Where’s your ship, Tretheway?" shouted Jenkins.
"Rum looking craft, anyway," commented the aviator. "Looks more like a dog’s kennel to me."
"Thanks," remarked Captain Restronguet in an undertone; then louder he added, "She’s hove-to. If you come down within hailing distance they’ll range up alongside to pick us up; they haven’t a boat."
"Haven’t a boat," ejaculated Jenkins. "Rum craft. Look here----"
He ended abruptly, for with a report like a pistol shot one of the wires supporting the wing plane snapped. The aero-hydroplane began to tilt ominously. Hythe and his companion instinctively realizing that a disaster was imminent grasped the rods nearest to hand in a grip of iron.
Pluckily the aviator strove by manipulating the elevating rudder to restore the doomed aircraft’s equilibrium, but in vain. He, therefore, shut off the engine and attempted a vol-plane. Already the air-craft was standing almost on its nose, and falling with fearful velocity, till Captain Restronguet slid out of his seat and was prevented from falling clear only by his grasp upon a metal rod.
Finding that the machine was quite out of control, Jenkins touched a lever with his foot. Instantly a length of stout canvas trailed out astern. Before the aero-hydroplane had descended another fifteen feet the canvas, distended by the resistance of the air, took the shape of a huge parachute. The fall, though still rapid, was appreciably retarded, while the three men, literally hanging on tooth and nail, became aware that hope was not yet dead.
With a tremendous splash the wrecked aero-hydroplane struck the water. Hythe found himself torn from his support, and plunging feet below the waves. Fearing that he might be entangled in the sinking machine he struck out and swam a considerable distance ere he rose to the surface.
Shaking the water out of his eyes, he looked around. The aero-hydroplane was still floating, but with a heavy list. The concussion had burst the seams of one of her floats, which was now completely filled with water, while the other was leaking slightly. Clinging to the still buoyant float were the captain and Jenkins. The "Aphrodite" was nowhere to be seen.