Ali, Muthu and Lim were students in Form Four at a school in Kuching. They were good friends and liked to be together during the holidays. Muthu and Lim were going to stay with Ali in Kapit where his father worked. The three friends were sitting in the waiting-room of th airport building. The planes near the runway was a Beaver belonging to Trans-Borneo Airways. Some men were putting petrol in the plane for the short journey to Sibu. This was the only stop on the way to Kapit. The hot sun was shining brightly on the plane's wings, and few clouds were moving slowly across the blue sky. The pilot walked out of the building and went across to the Beaver. He talked to some of the men near the aeroplane. He walked all round it and looked at the outside closely. Then he climbed into his seat. An officer put his head round the door of the waiting-room. "Come on, you three. We're ready,' he said to the boys. "Your luggage is already on the plane. I think you're the only passengers for the journey to Sibu. Perhaps someone will get on at Sibu. You stop there for a short time only. You will be by yourselves for th first part of the journey. Have you flown before? All three boys said