“Just the same,” thought the boy, “I wish we’d notified the police before we started.”
But at that moment a wind flaw struck the Electric Monarch and Jack’s attention was fully occupied in handling the craft as she heeled over like a ship in a heavy sea. When she was once more on an even keel, he had other matters to occupy his mind.
Beneath the Electric Monarch, soaring eagle-like far above it, a glimmering speck against the blue, lay the Atlantic. The ocean was in a calm mood. Viewed from above, its surface appeared to be as smooth as a mirror.
But Jack knew that appearances were deceptive. The Atlantic is never absolutely at rest. Even on the calmest days its bosom heaves with long, swinging swells, running shoreward to break in heavy, thunderous surf on the beach. He drew from a pocket beside the wheel the glasses with which the receptacle was equipped.
Controlling the wheel with one hand, he raised the glasses to his eyes with the other. He gazed downward through them and saw that the sea was lazily swelling in long, oily combers, which could be ridden with ease even by a cockleshell of a boat, whereas the Electric Monarch was actually two capable cabin cruisers fastened together Siamese-twin-like by ligaments of vanadium and steel and aluminum alloy.
“It’s safe enough to go down,” said Jack to himself and sounded two blasts on the electric whistle.
This was the signal to the engineer to come into the pilot house for a consultation. Ned soon presented himself. He was grimy but happy.
“Smooth as oil. You’d think the motors had been in commission for a long time instead of being on their initial trip.”
“That’s good. I didn’t have much fear but they would work all right. I’m going to try a drop, Ned.”
Jack watched Ned narrowly to see if the news had any effect upon him but Ned simply nodded his head in a business-like way and remarked:
At this juncture there came a shrill whistle on one of the speaking tubes leading to the helmsman’s wheel.
“Hullo, there’s Tom calling from the stern,” cried Jack, “wonder what’s up now.”
He placed the tube to his ear and then gave an exclamation of concern.
“Why, Tom has an attack of air-sickness. It’s pretty bad while it lasts, but fortunately it is soon over. I’m going to call him in to lie down in the cabin a while. Can you leave your motors and stand watch astern, Ned?”