“Come on, Bud!” he cried. “We’ll have to get out of here quick!”
His friend nodded, braced himself, and boosted Tom through the open hatch.
The plane was settling fast.
“Give me your hand!” Tom yelled.
66 TOM SWIFT AND HIS ROCKET SHIP
He reached down and grabbed the wrist of the heavier boy who was already in water up to his chest.
“Our amphib’s sinking!” Bud groaned. “Now what are we going to do?”
The fuselage disappeared a moment later and with a hissing sound the craft rushed under the swirling surface.
There had been no time to get out the life preservers. The boys tore off their jackets and shoes, and floated on their backs for a moment to get their bearings.
“Whatever happened?” Bud exclaimed.
“We ran against something-no idea what,” Tom gasped.
“Listen!” Bud commanded.
A powerful boat engine was throbbing nearby.
“Ahoy there!” Tom called.
Not until the boat had come almost within reach of the boys were the men in it able to see them. They were fishermen who had heard the plane but were unaware of the crack-up.
“You sure came at just the right time,” Bud remarked as he and Tom were hauled aboard.
The jovial weather-beaten captain told them that they had run afoul of the heavy fishing nets.
“That’s why we were snapped forward so hard,” Tom observed.
“Sorry about your plane,” the skipper said, “but I’m glad you fellows are okay.
The nets are covered by insurance, so don’t worry about them.”
After thanking the veteran fisherman for the res-A CRACK-UP 67
cue, Tom said, “All I’m worried about right now is where we are and how we’re going to reach the place we started out for.”