“STRATOSPHERE EXPRESS”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 March 1940, Page 10

“STRATOSPHERE EXPRESS”

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT. COPYRIGHT.

BY

ALROY WEST.

(Author of “Messengers of Death,” etc.)

CHAPTER X (Continued!

Then he turned and followed the rest. Storm saw that his eyes had filled with tears. Bessiter was quiet for a moment. Then he noticed Storm. “I told you to keep out of the way!” he exclaimed. “Don’t you ever do as you’re told?" “Not when my place is near you." Storm said quietly. “You’re a fool! I might lead a man to any crazy thing.” “I know that,” Storm said with a smile. Bessiter grinned. “Get along to Larkin’s place. You can go up in that plane with Manda. She’s piloting it. I’ll be along and watch you.” Storm hurried away. He had received instructions before telling him how to get to the hangar. When he arrived there Manda was waiting. “I’m to trust myself to you,” he remarked, as he fitted his parachute. “Reckon I shall need, this.” It was a cabin monoplane, low winged, with a self-starter fitted. Manda quickly took her place at the controls, and before Storm had really got accustomed to his seat, they were moving along the ground. A slight bump or so and they had left it behind. Manda moved the control column still further back. The monoplane climbed steadily. Storm looked down with interest. It was strange to see the fields looking like.tiny squares, which sometimes appeared to tilt over at an absurd angle. After circling round for a time, Manda put the stick forward and came downwards. Flying low. they were able to pick out a car which had pulled up at the side of the road. There was a tiny figure beside it. That would be Bessiter, watching through powerful glasses. - What a man!

Storm was recalling all that had taken place recently. It seemed that it was impossible to tire Bessiter. No wonder men wanted to follow him- — even if the trail led to desolate and dangerous places. Would there be danger up beyond the clouds? There was no knowing. It was like voyaging into the unknown. The days of the explorer were coming back. The monoplane, beautiful in the sunlight, was climbing again. The car, quite a long way away, was a mere dot in a queer colourless ribbon. A man didn’t gain full experience until he flew. It gave him a different perception of life.

He glanced at Manda. There was a slight smile on her lips. She was enjoying it. The machine seemed to be her servant, obeying her slightest whim. Her slender fingers had but to move and the graceful monoplane would respond. Was there ever a greater triumph? But Manda was frowning. He didn’t understand why. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with the engine. The sound was as regular as when she had tried it out before starting. She was staring at one of the instruments. He thought it was the inclinometer. Her face was going rather pale. He looked out.

That was funny. He didn't know they were banking! But this wing was deflected. No! It couldn’t be. The wings seemed the same on a turn. Nothing altered except the ground. The machine seemed to rock at times. The ground was steady. What was wrong? Then his mouth went dry. He saw the left wing bend slightly! He stared at it. Was he going crazy? No! It was trembling, shaking. And it was bending all the time! He reached over to Manda. She turned an anxious face to him. "I can’t keep her straight,” she yelled. Storm pointed to the wing. CHAPTER XI. Storm hesitated. It was like jumping off into space! True enough, far below him, he could see Manda, drifting in ■ a long diagonal, seemingly perched under an immense umbrella. He had no coherent idea of the last few seconds.

The machine became unsteady and nearly pitched him out. He held the ripcord of his parachute and jumped. At first it was a sickening drop. He tugged at the cord. It seemed that nothing happened for an eternity, while the ground sped upwards to meet him. Then there was a jerk which nearly stopped his breathing. For a moment he seemed suspended half-way between heaven and earth. But a second or so later he became aware of the gentle drifting sideways and downwards. He looked for Manda. She was far below him and a great distance ahead. He wouldn’t be able to overtake her- because both were dependent upon the same motive power. He'tried to calculate how many fields there would be between them. Then he lost count. There was something wonderful in this drifting like a bird with motionless wings. One didn’t belong to the earth. One was a creature of the air. This was the real bird man! If only one could be rid of the fastenings of the parachute, and could move arms and legs in gliding flight. He peered upwards. The monoplane was still in sight. It looked queerly lop-sided and even as he watched commenced to roll. It lost speed and plunged downwards, swaying uneasily. He didn't see the actual crash, because the ground was nearer and there were several trees which threatened to hook him as he drifted along. One branch actually' grazed his leg. There was grass below him. His feet practically touched the ground, but a sudden flurry of wind lifted the parachute again. Down once more. This time to land, to lose his balance, and drop full length. He was up in an instant, struggling to free himself. This done, he started to make his way across the field. His legs felt curiously unsteady. It was not unlike starting a walk after having been whirled round at a giddy pace on a roundabout. He realised that he would soon get accustomed to being on his feet. The main trouble was knowing where Manda had landed. She might not have been so fortunate. He reached the edge of the field and stood up on the wooden fence. It wasn t much help. There was a ploughed field < immediately before him. and then a | belt of trees. I “Where’s the road?" he muttered. The blare of a motor horn gave him some indication. He dropped from the I fence and started to trudge along the

edge of the ploughed field. It seemed nearly a mile in length, but at last he was able to push his way through a thorn hedge and reach a rough track, which bore deep cart-ruts. Progress was faster .especially as this track led more or less in the direction of the road. Unless he had made a considerable error in his calculation, Manda should have come down somewhere over to his right. He was worried about her; remembering the dazed way in which she had left the controls and taken, to her parachute. It wasn’t fear—it was something which baffled him. At last, glancing over a hedge, he saw her. She was not alone, for there was a man bending over her. Storm, too far to see distinctly, couldn’t make out Manda's figure very well. She seemed to be on the ground, either lying or kneeling. The parachute was stirring in the wind. Suddenly, sick at heart, he broke into a run. It was difficult ground across the intervening fields, and by the time he reached the right one he was breathless and utterly weary. He only had occasional glimpses of them, but as he drew nearer, he realised that it was Bessiter who was leaning over the girl. And when -Storm finally came upon them, it was Bessiter who turned his head and then motioned for him to keep his distance. But it was a different Bessiter. Somebody strangely gentle, who had his powerful hands on the girl’s shoulders.

"There now,” Storm heard him say. “I’ll wager that it was not Malcolm's fault. That boy wouldn’t have made a mistake —not - in a thing like that. He’d set his heart on it. There’s something we don't understand. We will. I’ll find out why it didn't work. And you’ll find out that it won't oe your brother’s fault.” Manda gasped something that Storm didn’t catch. Bessiter patted her gently.

“You didn’t let him down,” he said kindly. “If he’d have lived —he’d have been proud of the way you handled it. I couldn’t have saved that machine. Now dry your eyes. Here’s Storm coming!” Bessiter stood up, glared at Storm and then stepped forward. “So you managed to get down all right, eh?” he demanded, quickly returning to his old manner. "I thought oyu were never going to jump. What was wrong? Nerves?’ Storm shook his head "No. Is Manda hurt?” "Of course she isn’t you thick skulled simpleton!” Bessiter lowered his voice. Why do you thing I let her take the machine up? She’s upset. It’s natural —ain’t it?” “Of course,” said Storm quickly. “Well, then —have some consideration for a girl. Turn your back on her. Point out where you think the machihce came down. Use your wits —if you’ve got any!” “I should imagine it was over there,” Storm explained. “Wrong. Have another try.” “About. Come along now.”

As they neared Manda, Bessiter exclaimed: “I don’t know what to make of these fantastic girls. They get darn fool ideas about taking planes up. It’s no good telling a woman that a thing is darn stupid. She has to go and do it —if only in the hope that she can prove you wrong. Sheer cussed —that sums up women. And having busted up my monoplane, she calmly sits down in the middle of a field and shoves powder on her nose. She couldn’t beautify it, whatever she did —so she might just as well leave it alone.” Manda, her eyes suspiciously moist, stood up. "Sorry the joy ride ended so abruptly," she said, with a gallant attempt to smile.

"That's all right,” said Storm. "But I reckon somebody messed about with that wing. No type of wing would have gone like that. Somebody wanted us to crash,” “The first intelligent thing you’ve said, Bessiter whispered. Manda caught Storm by the arm. "Do you really think that?” she askeagerly. "Of course I do! It couldn’t be anything wrong with the idea of the wing, or else both would have gone. It was a fault in the assembling. I should leave though Bessiter would have tumbled to that right away! He’d only to

"I didn’t employ you to be a smart alec!" Bessiter cut in quickly. “Well, it was quite plain that only one wing was buckling up.” “I can’t understand, it,” Bessiter said slowly. “Larkin was going to have it assembled for me. We sent the wings and fuselage by lorry from the secret works. I keep two lorries in the outbuilding as well as a couple of cars. I told him to try out all the controls, and give several ground running tests. He was to report if anything wont wrong." "Did you see him today?" Storm asked. “No. He wasn't at the works." "That's strange!” cried the girl. ‘There was a fresh man over at the hangar. He said that there had been a call from the works, and Larkin had taken his men over." Bessiter scowled. With the bruises on his face and the cut lip. he looked more ill-tempered than usual. "I’ll attend to that," he said grimly. "Come on! Don't stand (her eidling. We'd better get to the scene of the smash. 1 don't want a crowd of imbeciles pawing everything.” Without waiting for them, he commenced to trudge across the field. Manda flashed a smile al Storm, and I walked beside him. "I’m sorry about the smash," he said, j (To be Continued.)