STRATOSPHERE EXPRESS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 19, 2 November 1938, Page 7

STRATOSPHERE EXPRESS

By ALROY WEST.

CHAPTER XVJIT. "IT’S GOOD TO HAVE YOU BACK, JIM.” Storm laughed at him. ‘‘Wore there any terms for my exchange ?” “No. But Lovac was anxious to get his ’plane back.” “Does he have it?” “Of course. I don’t want it.” “What happens about Rush?” “I don’t know—and I don’t care.” Manda came running to them. “Are you hurt?” she asked Storm, anxiously. “Of course lie’s not hurt!” Bessiter exploded. “You couldn’t hurt him! He’s too dumb!”

He strode away muttering something or other. Manda slipped her arm into Storm’s.

“It’s good to have you back, Jim,” she said.

“Mighty good to be back; I don’t like going riding with Lov&c. I find you are much better company.” “No times for compliments. AYo have to be up early—and it’s morning already, you know.” “Where are we bound then?” “Larkin’s place.” Storm sighed. “One of these days,” he vowed, “I’m going to have a lazy time—and in case that’s too strenuous for a fellow to do on his own, you can come along to help me.”

“That’s a bargain,” she saicbwith a laugh. Storm was thankful to turn in, but it seemed that he was hardly asleep liefore Andrews was shaking him. “Time to get up, sir.” “All right.”

Storm had a quick breakfast and then joined Bessiter, who was in a car with Mackley.

“Larkin.went earlier,” he explained to Storm.

“Why the early start?” “Use your brains! I want to know why Lovac was so worried about that machine. Mackley is with us becauso he can tell us who the people are who turn up to fly the bus away. I suppose you haven’t changed your mind, Mack'ley?” The red-haired man grinned. “I’m • beginning to enjoy myself, thanks. I was fed to the teeth with the Co-ordinated, anyway. A fellow didn’t know what his job was for more than five minutes at a time. Lovac was always homing in and upsetting everything. Apart from that, I couldn’t stand Ilroy.” “Never had a chance of getting acquainted,” said Bessiter with a grin. They soon reached the hangars and found Larkin waiting for them. The great, air-liner was still on the field. “You can get a good view from tbo window of that, small office there,” Larkin indicated. “Right.” The three of them hurried into the place, leaving Larkin to run the car into a garage and close the doors.

Bessiter stood near the window. After a time lie announced that he could see a car coming. It right up to tho main building, and Larkin came out. The driver remained in the car, but the other two occupants stopped out.

“Como here, Mackley,” Bessiter instructed. “Who are those fellows?”

Mackley stared at them and turned with a puzzled frown. “This seems screwy! They’re Briggs and Harper—stunt pilots. Lovac generally uses them for , exhibition purposes.” “Maybe they are the only ones he can trust to keep quiet about things,” Storm suggested. “Maybe,” said Mackley, in the tones of one yet to be convinced. The pilots hurried over to the great ’plane and started to tinker with it. “Takes them long enough,” said Mackley. But at last the engines roared into life, and the great monster of the skies started to, move round to come into the wind. Then it taxied forward. Nearing the far fence, it bumped up from the ground, came down, and then went up again. Next second there was a terrific crash, and the machine slumped down. One of the great wings had struck the fence! At first it seemed that the ’plane would turn over, but the pilot managed to straighten it. It reeled for a second, reminding Storm of a drunken man, and then crashing to the ground. There was a loud splintering sound. “Under-carriage buckled up,” commented Mackley. Men were racing across the field now,'Larkin in the lead. Bessiter, eyes narrowed, gave no indication of moving. He glanced at Mackley. “Well?” he asked slowly. “If that wasn’t done deliberately,” said Mackley, “well, I’m no pilot!” Bessiter nodded his head slowly. “I wonder what that means,” he muttered. “More trouble,” said Storm, lyRUSH WAS FOUND IN THE CANIAL

Larkin crushed the butt of his cigarette in the ash-tray. “That’s our problem,” he said firmly. His voice was remarkably firm, especially when one considered how small and flail, ho looked.

“You say the assembling will take several days?” “Yes.” “And as long as the wreckage of that infernal air-liner is on the field and there is the possibility of Lovac turning up, it will not be safe to do the assembling in the open?” “Yes. I could have fixed it up nicely in the great hangar, but it isn’t sufficiently private—at the moment.” Bessiter frowned. “I don’t like delays,” he snapped. “Neither do I,” Larkin cut in quickly- “ The best thing you can do is to start assembling at the works.” “I thought the fuselage was assembled,” Storm said. Bessiter grinned at him. “What you saw,” he said slowly, “was a very small portion of the stratoplane. The end portion, to bo exact. That’s so, isn’t it, Larkin?” “Yes—but it’s hardly an opportune moment to go into the details of construction.”

A Vivid Story of Realism and Romance.

:: (Copyright).

(Author of ** Messengers cf Death, Hate Island, Etc).

Bessiter winked at Storm. • “Quite, Larkin. Suppose you go over to the works and see what you Can manage.” “Very good.” With an abrupt inclination of bis head Larkin darted from the room. “Impatient devil,” said Bessiter. “Now look here. Storm. I’m going to toll you more about this ’plane of mine'. You don’t know what it looks like do you?” “Yes. You showed me a model of it in your room.” Bessiter chuckled. “Use you. head! Do you think I’m the kind of man to show all my workers just what they aVc making? That model was not unlike the first idea i ever had of a stratoplane, but the real thing won’t be anything like that. The wings will be little more than rudimenary, just enough to keep the machine controlled and to make it safe for landing. There will be a device, as in the model, for altering the wing surface to a certain degree. There will be four engines, outside the rocketlike fuselage, two on each side. The alt engines will be placed a shade further out than the fore ones. Get that?”

“JTes.” “At the back, near to the tail and the elevator, are the tubes through which the gas will escape. The machine will go through space like a rocket.”

“I. always understood that a rocket would not work when the escaping gas has very little air against which to push.” “Then you’ve thought wrong!” snapped Bessiter. “It will be better because the action and tlie reaction are equal. The actual speed of a rocket is equal to tho-speed of the- exhaust gas.” “What do you use? I read once that liquid oxygen and petrol were required and that it was too costly.” >

Bessiter grinned. . “That is being left to Larkin. HelH What do you think I employ him for? And one can discover things— can’t one?” “Yes, certainly.” “Well then, shut up!” “Actually, there will be a double shell. Tho intervening vacuum will be necessary .for one or two reasons; but if you want to know why, or haye any objections, you’d better see Larkin.”

Storm grinned. “No question,” he said. “Good. I want to talk about something else now. It seems that Lovac has got pretty well what he wants.. The Co-ordinated 'Transport shares started creeping towards the sky. I put an inquiry through to my brokers this morning, and they couldn’t lay hands on a couple of shares.” “So that all is ready lor the flight. I don’t see how you are going to beat Lovac—not with his organisation.

Bessiter glared. j “I told you I was going to beat him! That ought to be enough for you. When I set out to do a tiling—l do it ! But I must get my stratoplane int 6 commission, before I can tackle the Co-ordinated.”

“I see. Now what is going to happen about Rush ?” “Lovac promised to release him today. Originally he made a promise to do it yesterday, but I had to give him a hit longer because of those pilots' of his smashing up the air-liner.” “Which they did under Lovac’s orders,” said Storm. “I know that! Don’t keep trying to toll mo the obvious. It .sticks out miles. But I agreed because I wanted to see a hit more of Lovac’s game. Heavens! Don’t you understand tact?” “Eh?” Bessiter glared. “One of these days I’ll fire you. for being insolent,” ho threatened.

Storm laughed, “I’ll probably walk out on you before that,’ ‘ ho declared. The door opened and Manda came into the room. “Hasn’t Mr Rush been released yet?” silo asked. Bessiter drummed his fingers on the table.

“Not yet,” he said curtly. “Well, I’m going out. I don’t want y 7 ou for a time, Storm.” Ho glanced at the girf. ”Or you,” ho shopped.

Storm smiled. “Thanks,” she said. “Don’t get thanking me. I want both of you a bit later oh. And because I’m leaving you alone for a time, don’t get all sloppy. There’s still a great deal of work.” Before Manda could protest, 4m had hurried from the room. “Can you beat that?” she asked Storm. , . . “I think it might be a good idea to disobey,” he told her. Sho smiled. “I feel too worried at the moment. I don’t know what’s happened to Rush.” “I should think it would be all right. He isn’t all that important in the game.” Manda-crossed: to the window. “I realse that. But Dick in might.

“You don’t like Diekin?” “I hate him. He’s a pig. And a dangerous pig at that.” “Yes. But I don’t think you’ll have him bothering you from now on. He daren’t show his face in this region—and I expect Lovac keeps him busy. But I did feel worried yesterday. I thought that you would be at the airfield with, us. Bessiter didn’t say much when I asked him.” Manda turned.

“That couldn’t bo helped. There were one of two things to be straightened out. Bessiter had to go to the police this morning, by the way.” “About those fellows who tried to burglo the place?” “Yes. It will not lie a big affair. He can’t say very much—and they are paid not to. It’s rather a farce really.”

“Seems so to me. But we might as well have them locked up for the time being. Storm felt suddenly uneasy. He remembered what the man had. said to him when he was being guarded while Lovac talked to Bessiter. He had been warned to keep out of tilings and to keep any girl out of it as well. Was it bluff? Or had ike man acted out of friendship?

“What are you thinking about?” Manda, wanted to know. Storm smiled. “I was just thinking over the general position,” ho explained. (To be Continued).