n worked his way back like a crab, sliding a little, but not
once allowing his tensioned limbs to relax to the danger point. Before
the airplane had come within five hundred feet of the sea, he felt his
legs grasped in the strong hands of John and Tom, and the next moment
they had hauled him bodily through the window.

"Ginger, Buddy, that was a close call for us--and you, too!" exclaimed
John. "I hope I never see you in such a ticklish place again!"

Paul sank into a seat. He was too exhausted to do anything but smile.
When at last he could find his voice he asked, anxiously: "Can Bob
control her all right now?"

"Well enough to land us where we wish to go, he says," observed Tom.

"That's right," put in Bob himself, who had overheard the conversation.
"The Sky-Bird isn't what she was before that rock went through her, but
if nothing worse happens we'll reach Singapore, though it will probably
be somewhat later than our sweet friends in the other plane."

"We can land at Sumatra, I think, if we have to make repairs before,"
ventured John. "We ought to cross the northern end of that island in
the course of an hour."

Searching the horizon for their rivals, they saw that, evidently
satisfied with the mischief they had done, the _Clarion_ crew had gone
on at full speed, for they were now far ahead.

"If I ever run onto Pete Deveaux again I believe I shall be angry
enough to choke him till he's unable to speak his own name," declared
Paul.

"I'm afraid I'll have to help you at that job, Paul," cried Tom. "He's
the most unprincipled scoundrel that ever went unhung."

"You are right, Tom; Deveaux is a brute," said John. "His deviltry
came near being the end of us. When we get home, we must see to it
that he is punished as he deserves. But we must keep it out of the
papers now, as it will look, in case we get beat, as if we wanted an
excuse."

John and Tom now resumed their hammocks and broken sleep, for they saw
that, although the shattered tail elevator caused the Sky-Bird to ride
roughly and at reduced speed. Bob and Paul could probably handle her
all right from now on. The cross winds of the monsoon also hindered
their progress a good deal, blowing erratically from different
directions, but they plugged along at a pace slow enough to keep
themselves within the zone of safety.

A little later they came in sight of Sumatra, but as they were going
fairly well, thought it best not to attempt a landing f