Chapter SIX

Throughout the night the Wilbur Wright had steadily forged ahead. The crew had willingly volunteered to two watches instead of three, consequently a more rigid lookout had been maintained at all points of the ship. The course lay a little more than ten degrees south of the Tropic of Cancer.

The night had been well illuminated with a starry heaven, such as one sees only in tropical regions, but to the anxious watchers it had been passing slowly. Now at six o’clock dawn was emerging with tropical swiftness, to replace the star punched blackness of the sky. The airship was rapidly approaching the southern end of the Hawaiian archipelago.

An hour afterward Captain Johnstone came into the navigating cabin. A few minutes later the towering crater of Mauna Loa, the volcanic mass of the Island of Hawaii, appeared on the northwestern horizon like a dim cloud specking the clear sky about them. It was fully three hundred miles away. Howard Redmond, the second officer, who was on watch at the time, pointed it out to the commander in the usual terse manner of the navigator.

Captain Johnstone looked at it in an abstract manner, while in his mind he went over the events of the previous day. There to the northwest, a few hours flying distance, lay Honolulu. Not a single aircraft was in sight, although undoubtedly government ships were patrolling in the vicinity of the Hawaiian capital. He had already made his decision to continue flying on the more southerly course direct to Manila without stopping at Honolulu, but now the actual sight of Hawaii without any sign of the pirate had put the situation in an entirely new light.

There seemed to be no question that he could make Honolulu safely, particularly with government craft undoubtedly but a short distance away. Then too, if necessary, he could leave for Manila at a different time from that given in the schedule, and make arrangements to keep his departure secret.

After considering these points for some time Captain Johnstone suddenly made up his mind to depart from his original plan and go to Honolulu. Accordingly he gave orders to bring the airship about, and place her on the new course. After seeing these commands obeyed, he went into his cabin and rang for his breakfast.

Half an hour later the lookout man at the observation post on top of the envelope shouted down through the loud speaking telephone: “There’s a ship three points off the port bow, Sir, very high.”

Redmond rushed over to the port window in the navigating cabin and searched the sky. Finally he made out a tiny speck at an almost unbelievable altitude. For a few seconds he watched it, and then decided that its general appearance and position were sufficiently suspicious to warrant action. He sent a boy to call Captain Johnstone from his room. The latter who had just finished his breakfast, hurried to the navigating room, where Redmond told him of the strange craft that had just been sighted.

Captain Johnstone picked up his glasses and pointed them to the distant object in the skies. He watched it as it swept along in apparent circuitious course at tremendous speed. At this time the Wilbur Wright was flying at an altitude of 15,000 feet. He next picked up a pair of altitude finders and trained them upon the stranger. After an observation lasting several seconds, he turned round to Redmond and said:

“My God; it’s fully 45,000 feet above the sea! It must be a very unusual craft to keep that altitude. It may be the pirate. Anyway I’m not going to take any chances with it. We’re pretty close to Honolulu now, and even if it is the pirate we ought to make the airport safely. Please send for Mr. Alexander.”

The captain then picked up his field glasses again and continued to watch the stranger through them. Shortly afterwards the wireless operator appeared in response to the captain’s call. At this very moment the captain observed the stranger in the skies turn around and then begin a wide spiral dive. All hesitation disappeared from his mind. Throwing down the glasses, he picked up a piece of paper and began to write:

“Captain Smith, Naval Commander Honolulu.

“Wilbur Wright in Latitude 15.20 N. Longitude 152.35 E. Strange craft approximate altitude 45,000 feet now spiralling toward us. Believe it to be pirate airplane. Please rush assistance. Johnstone.”

Turning to the waiting wireless operator, he thrust the message in his hand and said:

“Please get that off immediately, Mr. Alexander.”

Then he rang for the chief steward and at the same time ordered the bugler to sound the alarm. Even before the steward started for the navigating cabin, the thoroughly alarmed passengers began to troop into the dining room. As soon as the former had reported to Captain Johnstone he was told to have the stewards make a search of the passengers’ quarters to see that all the passengers were in the dining room.

“When they are all in the dining salon,” continued the Captain, “tell them that we have sighted a suspicious craft, and that I thought it best they should remain in the salon until further orders. Tell them we are only 400 miles from Honolulu, and that I have wirelessed for assistance, and that I do not think there is any danger.”

The steward left to go about his task. In the wireless room Alexander had just got into communication with Honolulu and had started to send the captain’s message.

By this time the passengers were in the dining salon. They were talking to each other in excited tones in groups at the various tables, when the chief steward arrived and delivered the captain’s message.

At the captain’s table in the center of the salon sat Commander Fitzgerald with Mrs. Ingleton and her daughter. They had been in the dining room when the warning bugle was sounded. Mrs. Ingleton, being somewhat nervous, was almost terror-stricken, and Fitzgerald was doing his best to allay her fears. Mary however, was alive with intense excitement. She could hardly restrain herself from clapping her hands over the prospect of the adventure. “Oh! isn’t it thrilling!” she exclaimed.

Just then one of the passengers at a window on the port side shouted across the room:

“He’s getting very close to us. He’s coming very fast. Just look at him!”

The passengers who had remained seated started excitedly for the windows. Before they could reach them there was the sound of an explosion followed by a sizzling, ripping sound, and the ship shook from stem to stern.