There was need of haste for the water had not only reached the plane but had gone so far beyond it that every wave, as it rolled in, was rocking it violently. There were, they knew, a number of rather large rocks near where they had left it and the great danger was that it would come down on one of them and be damaged. They could see that the surf was washing nearly to the foot of the cliffs. Indeed, there was only a narrow strip of beach left where they were at the moment and opposite the plane the cliff came down nearer the ocean. “Gee, but this tide sure does come in fast when it gets started,” Gordon panted running close behind Bill. “Seems that way,” Bill flung back. “We may have to pull her up in the ravine.” “Not a chance.” “Guess you’re right. I reckon the water comes up too far.” The plane was swishing about in a foot or more of water when they reached it and they lost no time in getting a hold on it and pushing it toward the cliff. “Think we can make it from here?” Gordon asked when the plane was only a few feet from the cliff. “Guess so. Jump in and we’ll make a stab at it,” Bill told them. The plane was now situated so that the water reached it only when the surf rolled in and then it was not deep enough to move it. In a minute they were all in their seats and Bill was slipping one of the cells in its place in the motor which ran the elevator. But when, he felt in his other pocket for the other cell he caught his breath. “’Smatter?” Gordon asked. “I’ve lost one of the cells,” Bill told him. “You can’t have,” Gordon insisted. “Perhaps I couldn’t but I did. It must have slipped out that time I tripped and fell just after we rounded the point.” “Slip it in the other motor and we’ll see if we can take off the regular way,” Gordon advised. “Impossible,” Bill told him. “Too many rocks in the way.” “What’ll we do then?” “I was thinking that perhaps we could put the cell in that motor and jockey down to the path in front of the camp and then we could pull her out.” “Better make it snappy then,” Rogers spoke for the first time. “We’ll have to run through some water as it is, I’m afraid.” By the time he had finished speaking Bill had changed the cell and a moment later pushed over the switch. As he had said there were too many rocks of large size along the beach in that particular locality to enable him to run fast enough to allow of a hop off, but by running slowly he believed he could steer by them. He turned the wheel as the plane started and it swung out toward the ocean and almost at once was in a foot or more of water. “Why didn’t you turn the other way?” Gordon shouted. “Wasn’t room,” Bill retorted. “Look out or you’ll swamp her.” “I’m doing the best I can.” “Don’t I know it?” Gordon cried. The plane was now headed the other way and moving slowly toward the cliffs. Then, without warning it gave a sudden lurch and they could feel the wheels settle down as the plane came to a sudden stop.