STOWAWAY IN AN AEROPLANE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 237, 5 October 1940, Page 4 (Supplement)

STOWAWAY IN AN AEROPLANE

"fjULLO, oicvenson, what are fl doing out this way?" inquired l'l'tcr Armitage, a flying student bound lor the aerodrome, pulling up his little single-seater and hailing a voting doctor friend.

"Qiicken-pox, old boy!" replied a cheery voice. "I've just bought a practice here." Then, peering into his friend's car, "and where are vou off to. with those fear-some-looking blinkers ?"

"Oh, practising spins," said Peter briefly: then, with a quiet chuckle: "(.'nn't promise you an accident, though!"

"Evidently I'm not the only one looking f<">r trouble," laughfed the doctor. "Do you 'spin' by choice?"

"Well, it's handy to know how to set out of one?" "You've said it!"

"We have to do three this way," Peter made lightning corkscrew movements with his forefinger, "and three the other way. For our 'ticket,' you know."

"You can have it all!"

"Cheerio!'' As the two friends parted, young Armitage's thoughts centred round the career which had fascinated him from the tithe he was only a little chap.

Within a few minutes he had reached the wind-swept aerodrome. There were tlie gleaming planes, with the sky looking like a great

blue bowl, just made for those who fly. "i say, just look at this," a mechanic, reading a newspaper, thrust a paragraph under his nose. "They're talking of taking a tiger by plane from Burma." "A bit over the odds," chimed in someone else. "I'd rather have a tiger than a snake any day," remarked Peter. "Yes . . . imagine a snake coiling itself arpiitid you

, . began a mischievous youth. "Thanks, I'd better get busy," said the yoUng aviator, with a twinkle In his eyes, as he moved towards the hangar and the little aeroplane, whicli, by this time, was like ail Old friend. "Slife's as good as gold," remarked the mechanic, with a touch of pride, as they moved the aeroplane out over the asphalt to the grass beyond. Peter sa.id little. He felt as fit as a fiddle. Slipping on helmet and goggles, lie stood for a moment beside tile plarte.

As he climbed into the cockpit and adjusted the Safety-belt he seemed to becrtttie part of hig machine. How natural to be sitting there! The feel and the sound of iitt aeroplane were speech to him nowadays. Alert and obeervartt, and looking very

youthful but decidodlv capable, hl f ha " f,s drojiped to the controls! All qualm* suddenly left him. This was a man's job.

"Right-o, George"; the mechanic swung the propeller over two or three times. "We'll let her warm up" . . . Yes, the engine seemed to be perfect. Away with the chocks; and a passing,, glance for George stepping clear. "GotKl luck!" muttered the mechanic under his breath as the aeroplane taxied out. "That chap'il make a line pilot." From the tail of his eye Peter could see the "windsock" flying from the top of the hangar. Then, taking off neatly, he was soon climbing to a height of 3000 ft.

"This is the life! Wouldn't mind flying round the world!" he thought, smiling. "It's a bit gusty. ..."

But the next instant he was doing a gentle turn each way to make' sure of a clear skv. s?ow to He would need all his nerve. ' Concentrating keenly, Peter throttled back the engine and kept the nose of the plane up—up. There was an instant's pleasurable sensation of a ballet dancer poised on one foot. He eased the joystick back slightly. Up Went the nose still farther. Then as he applied the rudder to the right, suddenly the right wing dropped. The nose of the aeroplane followed. The whole of the machine began to swing round like Some mechanical toy—faster and faster—the rudder acting as a kifid of corkscrew fin. The earth seemed to be spinning in a

inad Whirl as the machine gathered speed. Ugh! But there was no time to fdel sick. The fcpin was a beauty! However, the point now was to get out of it. Peter knew perfectly well what to do. It was a case of reversing. Forcing himself to coriceiltratfe, lie applied the opposite rudder. Surely his left leg was going to sleep! Or was it? Memory played a lightning trick. What did they say down below about a Snake? Fighting a feeling of sudd&n horror, .he compelled hrinds and feet to do their work. Sow much would happen in a few moments! Seconds now seemed hours. Hfli-dly knowing how he had accomplished it, tlie $ T ourig man in the cockpit soon liad liis plane diving smoothly out of the spin and gliding gracefully, fcrp again to 3000 ft he climbed and rtpedted the evolution—two more

to the right and then three to the left. Now he closed the throttle, glided back to the earth, and taxied up to his hangar.

Glad that's over," muttered Peter, still feeling a bit out of sorts. "What on earth . . ' ?" For an instant he could only stare

in amazement. Was lie dreaming? No, sure enough there was a great lump inside his left trouser leg, just above the ankle. Whatever could it be? It certainly was not there when he entered the plane. A swelling? Absurd! Still puzzled, Peter put his hand down and felt it gingerly.

"Ow! You brute!" He stifle<l a yell as something sharp clawed his leg. "A rat!" More loathsome than anything else. Evidently the creature had been hiding in the plane and during the spins had

been terrified into seeking shelter in the trous^i 1 leg. "I'll have to get it by the neck." . . . How hard it Was to grasp it firmly! Its claws pricked him sharply. Supposing it bit him! Now to clamber from the cockjjit. With difficulty he hoisted out his right leg, clinging tightly to the unseen prisoner at the saiiie tihie.

"Here, you chaipe," lie shouted, "there's a rat up iny lt?g!"

"Ha! ha! ha!" A burst of lrtughter answered hint. He looked fio comical trying to scramble out, done up iri a kind of knot. "So VbU've brought home the tiger!" At last lie was out, and beht double, afraid to relax liis grip "ort the etowiiwav.

''Or is it the snake?"' '"'A rat, 1 tell you!" By this tithe he was just about frantic. "Give us a hand, can't you?" he bSgged. But this <tas too good a joke. "All right," said one cif tin? fellows at last, gdilig tf> his assisi - a nee. "You hold it here and I'll

stop it from going up farther." "Yes, then let go and it'll drop down." '"Ready ?"

"Good!" The next instant a furr.v grey ball dropped to the ground. "Well, I'll be jiggered'' In a second Peter was down ]}eeide it. "A kitten! Poor little beggar." It looked limp and pathetic after the rough handling, but it was not seriously hurt. "Come on, 'Spins,'" said the young aviator as he picked it up and cared for it. "You've jrot air sense, you have; and from now on you are my mascot!"