to the buoys to keep them and the planes afloat until their plight was
observed from some passing vessel. In the darkness this would, of
course, prove a vain hope; even in daylight the chance that a vessel
would be in sight was remote. But the die was cast: the engine was as
yet working perfectly; and in three or four hours, all being well, he
would come in sight of land.

There being no obstruction to fear, he kept at a height of only a
hundred feet above sea level. The sea was calm, gleaming like a sheet
of silver in the moonlight, so that the aeroplane seemed to fly over a
continuous glistening track. Steadily it flew on; Smith had nothing to
do but to sit still, feed the engine with petrol, and keep his eyes
alternately on the compass and the stars.

At length, about six o'clock by his watch--past eleven in the
longitude to which he had arrived--he caught sight ahead of a dark
outline on the water, no doubt a group of islands, though whether the
Andamans or the Nicobars he did not feel sure. Knowing that they were
all hilly in formation, he slackened speed, intending to run down
their coastline rather than cross them. It would not be difficult to
find one of the many channels between them through which he could
continue his flight, past the northern end of Sumatra to Penang. By
taking a southerly course, moreover, he would, be able to assure
himself of his direction.

After a short run parallel with the coastline he came to a wide
channel which he believed to be, and subsequently ascertained to be,
the Ten Degree channel between Little Andaman and Car Nicobar. From
this, if he was right, there would be an uninterrupted course
south-east to Penang. But within half-an-hour of entering the channel,
still flying low, he suddenly ran into a dense cloud of exceedingly
pungent smoke, which completely hid the sea beneath him. It made him
cough, and woke Rodier with a start.

"What's this, mister?" he shouted, rubbing his eyes.

"Forest on fire," shouted Smith in reply, though he was surprised to
meet with the smoke so far from land as he supposed himself to be. He
hastily planed upwards, in case, by some error of navigation, he had
come upon land and might endanger the aeroplane among hills or
tree-tops, and also to avoid the risk of explosion from a stray spark.
Still more surprised was he when, after only a few seconds, the
aeroplane passed completely through the smoke, and he saw the sea
again. At that instant, j