Air-Sea Rescue

Nancy extended her hand to Susan McAfee. " My most tenderhearted friend Bess has been my conscience, " she said. " Tell Mrs. Palmer we'll take the case."

Susan heaved a sigh and shook Nancy's hand. " You don't know what a relief this is. I've been rehearsing in my mind what a tongue-lashing I'd get if I went home and told her you didn't want to do it."

Nancy smiled and took down the address and phone number. She noted that even though Mrs. Palmer distrusted telephones, she had given in to Susan and had one installed. Then the girls parted from the young woman and made their way to the area where a beautiful, white, high-winged seaplane rolled gently in the Muskoka River alongside a small dock. It was the craft that Carson Drew had chartered as a present for his daughter and her friends. There was plenty of room for all three girls and their luggage.

An attendant loaded the bags and asked the trio if they had brought lunch.

" Oh, dear! " Bess wailed. " Mother made us terrific sandwiches to take along, but we got so busy saying good-bye that we forgot them! "

" Don't worry, " the attendant said. " You get whole meals right over there, packed to take along on airplanes. When you're ready to go, just pick up something."

He handed Nancy the ignition key. " It's all gassed and checked out. Did you file your flight plan? "

" Not yet, " Nancy replied. " But I’ll do that while my friends get the lunch."

The girls separated. Nancy went into the office to clear the flight. When she came out and was walking toward the dock again, a man in mechanic's overalls came toward her. He had a cap pulled low over his face, and, after a quick glance at the girl, he turned his head away.

When he had passed her, Nancy stared after him. He certainly acted strange, she thought. I wonder who he—

" Nancy! '' came Bess's voice. " Come on, we're ready to leave! "

Nancy waved and ran up to the dock, forgetting about the unfriendly mechanic.

" I hope you brought your pilot's license, " George said as she climbed into the copilot's seat.

Nancy grinned. ''I did, but I'm not used to flying a seaplane. Once we're up in the air, I might not get us down again! "

Bess spread herself luxuriously in the double back seat. " Then I suppose we'll be flying forever. As long as the weather's this beautiful, I won't mind."

The engine started without a hitch and the shiny white plane leaped forward over the water. It gained speed, shuddering slightly as it skipped along. Bess gripped the back of Nancy's seat.

" What's happening? " she asked tensely, trying not to let her voice tremble. ''It feels like the thing is falling apart."

''It's not! " Nancy shouted over the engine roar. " This is the normal way a seaplane takes off." She eased back the stick, and the plane gracefully lifted off the water and began to climb.

" Thank goodness." Bess sighed.

It was a clear, sunny day, and with George serving as navigator, holding the maps on her lap, they flew down the eastern seaboard. They passed New York City with its tall buildings, and saw the figure of the Statue of Liberty, on Liberty Island in the harbor.

They continued along the New Jersey coast past Atlantic City and the long, slender spit of Cape May. After they swung out to sea to go around the restricted area of the great naval station at Norfolk, Virginia, they broke out the lunches they had bought at the airport.

The engine's roar didn't encourage conversation but the girls were feeling so exuberant that they began shouting back and forth to one another anyway, in between bites of luscious sandwiches filled with roast beef, Swiss cheese, salami, and tuna salad.

" That's Cape Hatteras, '' Nancy shouted, pointing down to her right. " Very bumpy down there if you're in a ship."

" Why? " Bess shouted back.

" I don't know. Something to do with the way the Gulf Stream comes up the coast and then veers off east. Anyway, it's always rough. And when they have storms, it's worse than anywhere else. Do you know what they call it? "

''What! '' George yelled.

" The Graveyard of Ships."

Both Bess and George went through the pantomime of shuddering.

The plane performed like a dream, humming smoothly. The controls proved sensitive and responsive to Nancy's touch. The easy drone of the engine at last had its effect on Bess. With a full stomach, she fell asleep.

Suddenly, just off the coast of South Carolina, the plane began to stutter and spit. Nancy's heart skipped a beat as she felt the craft buck slightly.

" What's wrong? " George asked.

" I don't know, " Nancy replied as she worked frantically to nurse the engine back to a normal rhythm. " It doesn't make sense."

" Do you have enough gas? "

" Yes. I have a full tank—" Nancy stared hard at the panel. " Wait a minute. That can't be right. We've only covered half the flight. The gauge isn't working! I think we've run out of gas! "

" What are we going to do? " George called, beginning to turn pale.

Without replying, Nancy switched to the radio channel she knew would give her communications with nearby stations. " Charleston Tower, this is November four seven six five two. Mayday! Mayday! We're about five miles west of Charleston Harbor. I have no power and must land. Can you guide me? Over."

There was silence and then a voice crackled over the receiver. " November four seven six five two, we have you on radar. Are you amphibious? Over."

" No, this is a seaplane, '' Nancy replied. " A pontoon aircraft. Can you help me? Over."

" How does the sea look to you? Over."

" Choppy. Over."

" We don't think you have any choice. Can you come down close to the island you see on your right? Over."

" I'll try. Please alert air-sea rescue. Over."

" Air-sea rescue has been alerted. You'll be all right. Remember to keep your nose up on landing. Good luck. Over."

Nancy glanced at George and found her friend doing her best to keep calm. She even tried a smile. Nancy patted her hand.

" We're going to make it. Don't worry."

" I don't doubt it. But I hope Bess stays asleep until we land. If she wakes up and starts carrying on, I'm going to sit on her! "

Nancy's face was tense since by now the engine had stopped altogether.

" Here we go! '' she said. " Get into your life jacket, and then help Bess with hers. And start praying! "