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.'Algy made up his mind suddenly.'All right,' he said.'Let's locate the lugger.Ginger, slip over to the control room and leave word for Biggles about what we're doing in case he gets here before we're back.' Ginger went off at a run.CHAPTER XIIIDesperate MeasuresThe Otter was soon in the air, heading south-west for the river which, while of no great size as continental rivers go, has a notorious record of death and disaster out of proportion with its length.The ferocity of its native population, its crocodiles and mosquitoes and its sudden spates, combined for years to discourage visitors.Algy, at the controls, struck the Daly at its broad mouth, where the muddy water meets the sea between slimy banks sometimes fringed with mangroves; for as he had said, they knew neither the speed of the current against which the lugger would have to force a passage, or of the vessel itself.Anyway, seeing nothing of a ship that looked like the lugger on the sea or in the estuary he turned inland.For ten miles or so there was no break in the flat, reedy shore, often skirted by mudbanks on which crocodiles in startling numbers lay sunning themselves; but thereafter the river began to narrow, winding sometimes between steep, densely-wooded banks.An occasional wisp of smoke revealed the position of a native village or peanut farm.Waterfowl, white herons, pink cranes, black and white jabiru, geese and ducks, stood in the shallows or flighted up and down in clouds of hundreds.For another twenty minutes, flying low, the Otter droned on at cruising speed.Then Ginger, who was watching ahead, cried: 'There she is.At all events that looks like her.I'm afraid they'll have heard us.''Not necessarily,' answered Algy.'They themselves will be making a certain amount of noise.I can't see that it matters much if they do spot us.Well, that settles that question.The Matilda is on her way up the river.Now what do we do?''Go nearer to see if there's any sign of Cozens.''Okay.''You'll have to buck up.The river narrows.'Algy cut the engines.'I'll glide in low.There's a chance we may catch'em unawares.If Cozens is there it should encourage him to know we're keeping an eye on things.'The Otter, nose down, glided on at little more than stalling speed but fast overhauling the lugger.'There are several people on deck,' observed Ginger.'I don't think they've seen us yet.They're looking ahead.That black-bearded ruffian of a skipper is at the wheel.Von Stalhein is with him.Quite a bunch of natives aft.By gosh! I believe I can see Cozens!Isn't that him sitting on a coil of rope, or something, amidships.Behind the mainmast —with his chin in his hands.''I think you're right,' said Algy tersely.'Yes, that's him.And he's seen us, from the way he jumped up.''The natives have seen us, too.They're running forward to tell the skipper.'All faces on deck were now turned upwards, looking at the aircraft, which was still overtaking from about two hundred yards astern and fast losing height.'If you go any nearer they'll start shooting at us,' warned Ginger.Said Bertie, from behind: 'If the dirty dogs start that I've a few things ready to unload on 'em, yes, by Jove!''It seems a pity, but I'm afraid we've done all we can do,' said Algy helplessly.'Case of so near and yet so far.'No one, either on the ship or in the aircraft, could have been prepared for what happened a moment later.That Cozens himself might do something was a thought that certainly did not enter Ginger's head, for on the face of it he was as helpless as were those in the Otter.Apparently he did not think so.What he did was jump to the rail and dive overboard.Ginger, remembering the crocodiles, let out a cry of horror.For a few seconds, Algy, utterly unprepared for such a move, stared unbelievingly; but when Boller raced to the stern of his ship and opened fire with a revolver, blazing shot after shot at the head bobbing in the water, he acted quickly.What none of those in the aircraft had realized until this moment, although Cozens may have taken it into account, was the speed of the current.Before the Matilda had started to turn, the swimmer was forty yards astern, with the gap widening rapidly.Others had joined Boller in the stern and bullets were ripping up feathers of water round Cozens's head; but so far apparently none had touched him, for he continued driving on with a powerful overarm stroke.There was really nothing surprising about this, for to hit a moving target the size of a man's head, at long range, with a revolver, would need all the skill of a superlative marksman.Another factor that Cozens may have considered when he played his desperate stroke was the position of the Matilda.The ship, naturally enough, was ploughing its way up the middle of the stream.This meant, as now became evident, that it had the choice of stopping and then going astern, or edging nearer to one of the banks in order to give itself enough room to do a complete turn about at full speed ahead.When Boller had rushed aft the wheel had been taken over by another man, who seemed to be in some doubt as to which course to take.Then, when he did make up his mind and started to turn he found he had insufficient room, and there was some confusion before he succeeded.All this had occurred in a matter of only two or three minutes, but in that time others had been busy.Cozens still swimming strongly and striking out diagonally for the nearest bank, was now a good two hundred yards away from the lugger, while Algy, after slamming on full throttle and shoving his nose down for speed, had turned on a wing tip, as indeed was necessary if he was not to hit the trees lining the bank — which in fact he nearly did, missing a tall palm by so narrow a margin that Ginger clapped his hands over his face.The issue was still in doubt, for in order to pick up the fugitive the trickiest part of the flying was yet to come; and there was no time to be lost, for the current that had given Cozens his early advantage was now on the side of the lugger, and it could be only a matter of minutes before the swimmer was overhauled.Algy did not commit the folly of trying to land downstream on fast flowing water for reasons which need hardly be explained [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]