It was not more than half an hour later when Jess uttered a sharp cry
of alarm. From the forward part of the aeroplane a wisp of smoke had
suddenly curled upward. Like a blue serpent of vapor it dissolved in the
air almost so quickly as to make Jess believe, for an instant, that she
had been the victim of an hallucination.
But that it was no figment of the imagination was evidenced a few
moments later by Peggy herself. Aroused by Jess's cry, she had made
an inspection of the machine, with alarming results. What these were
speedily became manifest.
"Jess! The machine is on fire!" she cried afrightedly.
As if in verification of her words there came a puff of flame and a
strong reek of gasoline. It was just then that both girls recalled that
the _Golden Butterfly_ carried twenty-five gallons of gasoline, without
counting the reserve supply.
Fire on an aeroplane is even more terrifying than a similar casualty on
any other type of machine. Hardly had Peggy's words confirming the
alarming news left her lips when there came a cry from Jess.
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