gives me a nudge, juggles his deflectors, and down we shoots. I
never had any part of the map come at me so fast. Seemed like the Sound
was just rushin' at us, and I was tryin' to guess how far into the
bottom we'd go, when he pulls the lever again and we skims along just
above the surface. Shootin' the chutes--say, that Coney stunt seems tame
compared to this!

In no time at all we've made a circle around the yacht and are comin' up
behind her once more. We could see the people pilin' out on deck to
rubber at us. In a minute more we'd be even with 'em. And how was I
goin' to deliver that message to Vee? Just then I looks in my lap, where
I was grippin' my straw lid between my knees, and discovers that I've
lugged along one of them muskmelons in a paper bag. That gives me my
hunch.

Fishin' out the note I'd written, I slits the melon with my knife and
jabs it in. Then I shows the breakfast bomb to my friend and points to
the yacht. He nods. Some bean, that guy had!

"I'll sail over her," he howls in my ear. "You can drop it on the deck."

There was no time for gettin' ready or takin' practice shots. Up we
glides into the air right over the white wake she was leavin'. The folks
on her was wavin' to us. First I made out Vee, standin' on the little
bridge amidships, lookin' cute and classy in white serge. Then I spots
Aunty, who's tumbled out in her boudoir cap and kimono. I leans over and
waves enthusiastic.

"Hey, Vee!" I shouts. "Watch this!"

I'd picked out the widest part of the deck forward, where there's no
awnin' up, and when it was exactly underneath I lets the melon go, hard
as I could shoot it. Some shot that was too! I saw it smash on the deck,
watched one of the sailors stare at it stupid, and then caught a glimpse
of Vee rushin' towards the spot. Course I wa'n't sure she knew me at
that distance, or had heard what I said; but trust her for doin' the
right thing at the right time!

"There's Mother!" I hears my sporty friend roar out. "I say! Mother!
It's Billy, you know."

No doubt about Mother's catchin' on. Maybe she'd suspicioned, anyway;
but the last I saw of her she was slumpin' into the arms of a
white-haired old gent behind her.

Another minute and we'd left the Katrina behind like she had seven
anchors out. On we went and up once more, turnin' with a dizzy swoop and
skimmin' past her, back towards where we started from. And just as I was
wishin' he'd go faster and higher we settles down on