A Strange Landing
Flying over the mountains in the bright, calm sunlight was a very
different proposition from clearing them in the face of wind and rain,
and Linda encountered no difficulty at all as she set out the next
morning. Neither she nor Helen had much hope of catching the man who had
stolen the bonds and the money, but both girls decided it was worth
taking a chance. So long as they had come this far, it would be foolish
to turn back without finishing the flight.
They arrived at the Newport News airport a little before ten o’clock,
and Linda set herself immediately to the task of finding out where the
air-transport company was located. When she had secured this information
she stepped back into her autogiro, prepared to fly to the spot. She was
not wasting any time now with taxicabs, for wherever she went, she felt
sure there would be a landing place large enough for the “Ladybug.”
She had been directed to the shore on the Chesapeake Bay, and here she
found hangars and planes and officers. A smiling young man came to greet
her immediately.
“Good morning,” said Linda, quickly. “We have come from Chicago to find
a man named Edward Tower. I understand that he was sailing to England on
an air transport—leaving to-day, perhaps?”
Her heart beat rapidly while she waited for his answer.
The young man nodded.
“There was a transport that left at nine o’clock this morning,” he
replied, to both girls’ utter dismay. Only an hour ago! They had lost
the race by sixty short minutes!
“Oh!” gasped Linda, sadly, and tears of disappointment came into Helen’s
eyes.
The young man seemed to be thinking.
“I can’t recall anyone by the name of Tower,” he said. “And I myself
went over the lists.”
Linda’s eyes narrowed.
“Then Mr. Tower must be using another name—just as he used the disguise
of an old man—” she added, to Helen. Then, turning to the officer, she
explained that she had a warrant for Tower’s arrest.
“There couldn’t be another boat going to England?” she asked.
“No. Air transports aren’t like passenger boats,” he replied, “sailing
every few days. There are only a limited number in existence.”
Linda was silent, trying to think of something that she could do. It was
the young man who finally made the suggestion which she followed.
“Look here, Miss,” he said, “why don’t you go after the boat? You have
an autogiro, haven’t you?”
“Yes—” replied Linda, not knowing what he meant.
“Well, fly out over the ocean till you find them. I’ll show you a
picture of the transport, so you can spot it. But you couldn’t miss it
anyhow. Then hover over it, and I’ll give you a mail bag to drop down.
That’ll be a signal—the Captain’ll clear the deck for you to land.”
“Land on a ship’s deck?” repeated Linda, in amazement.
“Sure. With a ’giro it’s easy—if you know how to manage her. Lt.
Melville Pride did it a while ago—maybe you read about it in the
papers?”
“No, I must have missed that,” answered Linda. “But did he take off
again? I wouldn’t want to go all the way to England.”
“Sure he took off. The crew helped, I believe— But, of course, Lt. Pride
is an expert. If you’re a beginner, I wouldn’t advise you to try it.”
Linda looked grave, but Helen burst out laughing.
“I guess you don’t know that this is Miss Linda Carlton!” she announced
proudly. “The girl who flew the Atlantic Ocean alone!”
The young man gasped, and held out his hand, which Linda shook
cordially.
“I’m honored to meet you, Miss Carlton,” he said. “And, of course, you
can land on that ship. Go ahead and do it!”
“I will,” replied Linda, who always made her decisions quickly. “Just
let me look at my gas——”
Ten minutes later she took off from the shore, pointing her autogiro out
towards the ocean. Her spirits were high; she had never been so excited
before. This, she thought to herself, must be the way the pirates of old
felt, when they went after a ship!
It was not long before she spotted the ship, for the “Ladybug” made much
better time than the transport. Circling about, she gradually descended
until she was almost over the ship. Then she leaned out of the cockpit
and dropped the mail bag, with a message pinned on it to the effect that
she wanted to make a landing.
Confusion immediately arose on the ship’s deck, as Linda could easily
see, without even the aid of her glasses. Men and officers hurried to
and fro, clearing a large space. They had no way of knowing that their
visitor was not some high government official, but only a girl of
eighteen!
At last the man who was probably the captain gave her the signal, and
Linda descended cautiously, thankful that she had had plenty of practice
in coming down on exact spots. Her experience in the Okefenokee Swamp
had not been in vain, for she landed with confidence now. It was as
pretty a demonstration as the crew had ever seen.
“Pretty neat!” exclaimed the Captain, rushing over to her side. Then, in
consternation, he exclaimed, “By George! It’s a girl!”
“Two girls!” corrected Linda, climbing out of the cockpit, and trying
not to look embarrassed. How she wished her companion were Dot Crowley,
instead of modest little Helen Tower! For Dot would do all the talking,
and take charge of everything.
She looked about in confusion at the men who gathered so quickly around
her, and she could not distinguish the Captain. Then, all of a sudden,
she spied a familiar face. Lord Dudley, amongst all those strangers!
“Miss Carlton!” he exclaimed, in surprise. “Am I the reason we are being
honored with this visit?”
Linda laughed and shook her head.
“I’m afraid not, Lord Dudley,” she said, holding out her hand. “But it’s
good to see somebody that I know. Now will you please introduce me to
the Captain?”
“Certainly,” agreed the man, and he hastened to do the honors.
Cautiously, however, Linda asked to speak with the Captain alone, and he
took her into a cabin while she stated her business, asking for a man
named Edward Tower, and showing her warrant and a note from Mr. Hudson,
stating the facts concerning the will, and the taking of the money and
bonds.
The Captain, however, gazed at the papers gravely.
“We haven’t any man by that name,” he stated.
“Then he must be using another name,” Linda replied, desperately. “Oh,
he must be here! He just must!”
The Captain looked exceedingly sorry for her, but he explained that he
did not see how he could possibly find out. “We haven’t a detective on
board,” he added, helplessly.
Linda stood up. She had forgotten Helen, had left her sitting alone in
the autogiro. Their only hope now lay in the girl’s recognizing her
uncle.
She went back to the deck, where Lord Dudley met her and claimed her as
his guest. That he was proud of her, in front of all those officers and
men, could not be disputed. He had almost decided to ask her again to
marry him.
Together they walked towards the “Ladybug,” from which Helen Tower
suddenly leaped.
“Uncle Ed!” she cried, in wildest excitement.
Linda and Lord Dudley looked about them, questioningly.
“You’ve found him, haven’t you, Linda?” demanded the girl, rushing over
and grabbing Lord Dudley by the arm. “Hand over my money!” she
commanded, dramatically.
Lord Dudley pretended to look puzzled, but beneath it all Linda could
see a hidden tinge of fear in his eyes.
“But this is Lord Dudley, Helen—” Linda insisted.
“It’s my uncle Ed Tower!” repeated the girl, emphatically. “I know it.
Don’t you remember, Linda—when I saw him before on the Country Club
porch, at that tennis match, I said he looked familiar?”
“Why, this is nonsense,” objected the man, trying to keep his voice
calm. “I will appeal to the Captain if you think it is necessary, Miss
Carlton.”
But the Captain, it seemed, was only too ready to help the girls.
Immediately he demanded a search of the man’s belongings; if Lord Dudley
was in reality Edward Tower, the money and the bonds must be hidden
somewhere in his quarters. The Captain sent three trusted officers to
find out.
Linda and Helen remained on deck with the Captain and the man posing as
Lord Dudley, and the girls told the story of the finding of the will and
the confession of Mrs. Fishberry. Ten minutes later the searchers
returned, bringing fifty thousand dollars in bonds, and fifty thousand
in cash! There could be no doubt now of the man’s identity.
“You want to arrest Tower, don’t you, Miss Carlton?” asked the Captain,
as he put the valuables into her hands. “Even though you got the money?”
Linda looked questioningly at Helen.
“We had better,” answered the younger girl. “He might try to run over me
again. Or burn more houses, with people in them!”
Linda nodded; it was not safe for a man like Ed Tower, who could even
pose successfully as an English lord, to be at large. There was no
telling what wickedness he might accomplish in the future.
“Then suppose I send a pilot back with him in your autogiro—with the
warrant for his arrest. You girls can wait here until the autogiro
returns.”
Linda agreed, and it was all accomplished in an incredibly short time.
An hour later, with their small fortune carefully stored in the
“Ladybug,” they set out for home.
Their first stop was Baltimore, for they flew north this time, and here
they were met by an old friend of Linda’s father, a banker who took
charge of their money and bonds, and who insisted upon taking them to
his home to spend the week end with his daughters.
It was Monday afternoon when the girls finally reached Green Falls,
having flown the whole journey—through Pennsylvania, over the Allegheny
Mountains, north through Ohio and Michigan—without a single mishap. The
entire summer colony was out to greet them, it seemed, but little Helen
Tower saw only Mrs. Smalley, her dear old nurse.
The look of happiness and gratitude on the faces of these two devoted
friends—happiness that they could live comfortably together, gratitude
to Linda for what she had done for them—was enough to repay the brave
aviatrix for her perilous summer.
_SAVE THE WRAPPER!_
_If_ you have enjoyed reading about the adventures of the new friends
you have made in this book and would like to read more clean, wholesome
stories of their entertaining experiences, turn to the book jacket—on
the inside of it, a comprehensive list of Burt’s fine series of
carefully selected books for young people has been placed for your
convenience.
_Orders for these books, placed with your bookstore or sent to the
Publishers, will receive prompt attention._
The Linda Carlton Series
By EDITH LAVELL
[Illustration: Linda Carlton, Air Pilot]
A splendid group of books detailing the adventures of daring Linda
Carlton. If you are air-minded, read THE LINDA CARLTON SERIES.
Handsome Cloth Binding
_Attractive Colored Jackets_
PRICE, 50 CENTS EACH
POSTAGE 10c. EXTRA
Linda Carlton, Air Pilot
Linda Carlton’s Ocean Flight
Linda Carlton’s Island Adventure
A. L. BURT COMPANY
PUBLISHERS
New York Chicago
THE BETTY LEE SERIES
By HARRIET PYNE GROVE
_A Delightful Series of School Stories for Girls of High School Age!_
[Illustration: Betty Lee, Freshman]
Follow popular, lovable Betty Lee through her interesting High School
adventure.
Handsome Cloth Binding _Attractive Colored Jackets_
PRICE, 50 CENTS EACH
POSTAGE 10c. EXTRA
BETTY LEE, FRESHMAN
BETTY LEE, SOPHOMORE
BETTY LEE, JUNIOR
BETTY LEE, SENIOR
THE JEAN MARY SERIES
By ELLA DOLBEAR LEE
[Illustration: Jean Mary’s Summer Mystery]
The adventures of a group of young American girls in their travels
throughout America and Europe. Filled with splendid anecdotes of travel,
and each volume has a separate little romance all its own.
Handsome Cloth Binding
_Attractive Colored Jackets_
PRICE, 50 CENTS EACH
POSTAGE 10c. EXTRA
JEAN MARY’S ADVENTURE
JEAN MARY’S SUMMER MYSTERY
JEAN MARY IN VIRGINIA
JEAN MARY’S ROMANCE
The Girl Scouts Series
BY EDITH LAVELL
[Illustration: The Girl Scouts’ Motor Trip]
A new copyright series of Girl Scouts stories by an author of wide
experience in Scouts’ craft, as Director of Girl Scouts of Philadelphia.
Clothbound, with Attractive Color Designs.
PRICE, 50 CENTS EACH
POSTAGE 10c. EXTRA
THE GIRL SCOUTS AT MISS ALLEN’S SCHOOL
THE GIRL SCOUTS AT CAMP
THE GIRL SCOUTS’ GOOD TURN
THE GIRL SCOUTS’ CANOE TRIP
THE GIRL SCOUTS’ RIVALS
THE GIRL SCOUTS ON THE RANCH
THE GIRL SCOUTS’ VACATION ADVENTURES
THE GIRL SCOUTS’ MOTOR TRIP
THE GIRL SCOUTS’ CAPTAIN
THE GIRL SCOUTS’ DIRECTOR
THE MERRY LYNN SERIES
By HARRIET PYNE GROVE
Cloth Bound. Jackets in Colors.
The charm of school and camp life, out-door sports and European travel
is found in these winning tales of Merilyn and her friends at boarding
school and college. These realistic stories of the everyday life, the
fun, frolic and special adventures of the Beechwood girls will be
enjoyed by all girls of high school age.
MERILYN ENTERS BEECHWOOD
MERILYN AT CAMP MEENAHGA
MERILYN TESTS LOYALTY
MERILYN’S NEW ADVENTURE
MERILYN FORRESTER, CO-ED.
THE “MERRY LYNN” MINE
Marjorie Dean High School Series
BY PAULINE LESTER
[Illustration: Marjorie Dean, High School Freshman]
Author of the Famous Marjorie Dean College Series
These are clean, wholesome stories that will be of great interest to all
girls of high school age.
All Cloth Bound Copyright Titles
PRICE, 50 CENTS EACH
Postage 10c. Extra.
MARJORIE DEAN, HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN
MARJORIE DEAN, HIGH SCHOOL SOPHOMORE
MARJORIE DEAN, HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR
MARJORIE DEAN, HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR
THE
Ann Sterling Series
By HARRIET PYNE GROVE
Stories of Ranch and College Life
For Girls 12 to 16 Years
_Handsome Cloth Binding with Attractive Jackets in Color_
[Illustration: Ann Sterling]
ANN STERLING
The strange gift of Old Never-Run, an Indian whom she has befriended,
brings exciting events into Ann’s life.
THE COURAGE OF ANN
Ann makes many new, worthwhile friends during her first year at Forest
Hill College.
ANN AND THE JOLLY SIX
At the close of their Freshman year Ann and the Jolly Six enjoy a
house party at the Sterling’s mountain ranch.
ANN CROSSES A SECRET TRAIL
The Sterling family, with a group of friends, spend a thrilling
vacation under the southern Pines of Florida.
ANN’S SEARCH REWARDED
In solving the disappearance of her father, Ann finds exciting
adventures, Indians and bandits in the West.
ANN’S AMBITIONS
The end of her Senior year at Forest Hill brings a whirl of new events
into the career of “Ann of the Singing Fingers.”
ANN’S STERLING HEART
Ann returns home, after completing a busy year of musical study
abroad.
For sale by all booksellers, or sent on receipt of price by the
Publishers
A. L. BURT COMPANY, Publishers,
114-120 EAST 23rd STREET NEW YORK
[Illustration: Endpapers]
Transcriber’s Notes
--Copyright notice provided as in the original—this e-text is public
domain in the country of publication.
--Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard (or amusing)
spellings and dialect unchanged.
--In the text versions, delimited italics text in _underscores_ (the
HTML version reproduces the font form of the printed book.)
End of Project Gutenberg's Linda Carlton's Perilous Summer, by Edith Lavell