Stern shuddered at the thought. Almost as well be lost over the sea as over any one of these tremendous bodies! Were not the land near, nothing but death now faced them; for already the fuel-gage showed but a scant two gallons, and who could say how long the way might be to shore?
For a moment the engineer lost heart, but only for a moment.
His eye, sweeping the distance, caught sight of a long, dull, dark line on the horizon.
A cloud-bank, was it? Land, was it? He could not tell.
"I'll chance it, anyhow," thought he, "for it's our only hope now. When I don't know where I am, one direction's as good as any other. We've got no other chance but that! Here goes!"
Skilfully banking, he hauled the plane about, and settled on a long, swift slant toward the dark line.
"If only the alcohol holds out, and nothing breaks!" his thought was. "If only that's the shore, and we can reach it in time!"