_The Flight to Green Falls_
The first thing that Linda thought of when she opened her eyes the
following morning was the glorious fact that she was now a real pilot.
She could take her plane anywhere--to Green Falls, to her father's
ranch in Texas, wherever she wanted to go--and nobody could stop her.
The freedom of the world and of the skies was hers.
But she had no intention of taking it any farther than the Spring City
Flying School that day. She would spend the morning there, watching one
of the licensed mechanics give it a thorough inspection, in readiness
for the flight to Green Falls on the following day.
She wished that it might be Ted Mackay who would go over the plane. She
had such confidence in his knowledge, his thoroughness. Besides, it
would be fun to spend the morning with him, asking him questions, and
talking things over.
Naturally, that was impossible. When Linda reached the field she found
that Ted already had gone, and a number of changes had been made. H.
B. Taylor was now first-ranking instructor, and the young man who had
been acting as office boy, or orderly, or whatever they chose to call
him, had passed his course and was promoted to the rank of instructor.
Another man took his place--an older man this time, and Linda thought
probably it was the poor fellow who had been having engine trouble with
his shabby coupé the preceding day. Everything seemed different, and
Linda was somehow glad that she was leaving. The place would never be
the same to her without Ted Mackay.
About noon she received the mechanic's O.K. upon her plane, and flew
home in time for lunch. Her aunt had finished packing, and was as
excited as a child about going to Green Falls, and again taking up
their customary social life among their friends.
"I have bought a new flying suit for you, dear," she said to her niece,
as the girl entered the library. "Unwrap it and see how you like it."
Linda eagerly unfastened the strings and lifted out a pair of white
flannel knickers, with a jaunty blue sweater and helmet of knitted
silk, just the color of her eyes. The whole costume was charming, and
a lovely change from the dark riding breeches she had been using for
flying.
"It's perfect, Aunt Emily!" she cried, realizing for the first time
that she had never cared for what she was now wearing. "And it was so
sweet of you to think of getting it for me!"
"I never could see why girls have to look masculine," replied her aunt.
"Of course I can understand that skirts are impractical, but they make
these suits so pretty now-a-days. And I want you to look nice the very
first minute you arrive at Green Falls. First impressions are always so
important and there is sure to be a crowd there to greet you."
Linda was only too delighted to wear it the next day, which dawned
clear and warm for her flight. Miss Carlton left early in the morning,
by train, so that she would be at Green Falls in plenty of time to
welcome the flyers.
Ralph came over for Linda about half-past nine. Carrying their lunch,
the young people started on their first real adventure in the air.
The young man, too, wore a new suit of spotless white flannel, and,
as they walked, tall and slender and straight, they made perhaps the
best-looking pair of flyers in America. But neither was conscious of
that; both were too much excited about their first trip in the air to
give even a passing thought to their appearances.
"Are you sure that you have the precious necklace?" asked Linda, as
they made their way across the field in back of her house.
"Yes, indeed," answered Ralph. "I went to the safe-deposit vault this
morning to get it. That was one reason why I didn't want to start
early. I had to wait for the bank to open."
"Kit would be horribly disappointed if we didn't bring it," returned
Linda. "I honestly think she loves those pearls as much as I do my
'Pursuit'!"
"Queer taste," remarked the boy. "If I had them, I'd sell them and buy
a biplane!"
"Of course you would," said Linda approvingly. "Even if you do insist
upon talking baby-talk!"
"Baby-talk?"
"Certainly. 'Buy a biplane'--sounds like 'Bye, Bye, Baby,' doesn't it?"
Ralph smiled, but they both forgot immediately what they were saying,
for they were beside the plane now, ready to start on their flight.
Linda was not at all nervous about the journey, only thrilled and
happy. She climbed into the cockpit with the same assurance that she
entered her car, and her take-off was just as easy, just as natural. It
seemed now as if she piloted the biplane by instinct; with the sureness
of a bird it rose into the air to a gradual height of fifteen hundred
feet. For she had been cautioned again and again that there was safety
in height.
They flew along without any attempt at conversation, for it was
difficult to hear above the roar of the motor. But Linda was so
happy that she hummed softly to herself, and most of the time she
was smiling. Ralph, with a map in his lap, kept a close watch on the
compass.
For some time they did not see any other planes in the sky, and then
at last one came into view. As it drew closer, it occurred to Linda to
wonder whether she was being followed.
"Who do you suppose that is?" shouted Ralph, above the noise of the
motor.
"I think it's somebody from our school--maybe Taylor," she replied.
"Perhaps Dad ordered them to follow us--for safety--or maybe it was Ted
Mackay's idea."
As the plane drifted off to one side, they thought no more about the
matter. But it was noon now; the sun stood high overhead, and both of
the young people were astonished to find how hungry they were.
"I want to try a couple of stunts before we eat," Linda told Ralph.
"You're game, aren't you?"
"Surest thing!" replied the boy, with delight. "We've got plenty of
height--and a spectator too, for that matter." The other plane had just
come back into sight.
Linda's eyes were shining with excitement, yet inside she was perfectly
cool. Hadn't she made inside loops and Immelman turns often at school,
and didn't she know exactly what to do? With perfect poise, she swung
the plane into a loop, and completed it without any difficulty. Pleased
with her success, she tried it again and again.
"You must think you're Laura Ingalls!" shouted Ralph, catching his
breath. "Trying to beat her record?"
"Hardly," smiled Linda, for the famous aviatrix he mentioned held the
record at that time with nine hundred and eighty consecutive inside
loops, at a speed of four and a half loops a minute.
The plane was righted now, but Linda suddenly noticed that Ralph was
acting awfully queer, hanging over the side, and hunting frantically
in the pockets of the sweater which he had put over the seat. She
believed he must be ill; certainly his face was ghastly white.
"Ralph!" she cried, fearfully. "What's the matter?"
"I've lost the necklace!" he screamed in terror. "Must have fallen out
of my pocket!"
"Oh!" wailed Linda, aghast at the meaning of his words. "Are you sure?"
"Positive!"
"Then we'll land immediately. We're over a field, so we ought to be
able to find it. Now--keep your eye on the compass!"
Gradually, and with easy skill, she turned the biplane into the wind
and descended, finally coming down into a large flat field, evidently a
pasture ground for some horses. Ralph was the first to jump out.
"We went a little south to land," he said, "so it must have dropped up
there."
"Was it in a box?" questioned Linda.
"Yes, fortunately. A white velvet box, inside a larger pasteboard one,
with three rubber bands around it. That ought to make it easier to
find."
Linda, however, had her doubts; the field was so big! Besides, what
proof had Ralph that he had lost it at that particular minute--when
she was making her loops. She remembered that he had taken off his
sweater an hour ago, when he felt too warm, and had carelessly hung it
over the side, forgetful of the precious box in its pocket. That was
the trouble with being so rich! Many times she had noticed how heedless
both Kitty and Ralph were about valuables.
They walked silently across the field, their eyes on the ground, their
minds filled with remorse. Ten minutes passed, and they had not found
it.
"Let's go back and eat our lunch," suggested Ralph, consulting his
watch. "It's almost one o'clock, and we'll feel better if we eat. After
all, we have plenty of time--Green Falls is only about twenty miles
farther. We could search all afternoon, if necessary."
"Yes, only Aunt Emily would nearly die of anxiety. She'd be sure we had
been killed, if we didn't arrive before supper."
They went back to the plane and took out the dainty lunch which Miss
Carlton's cook had packed that morning for them. But, hungry though
they were, the meal was not the pleasant picnic they had been hoping
for. Both were too unhappy to enjoy what they were eating.
Presently the noise of a motor overhead attracted their attention, and,
looking up, they saw a plane in descent. When it was low enough to
identify, they knew that it was the one that had been following them.
"It's the 'Waco' from our school!" cried Linda. "I recognize it now. He
must think we're in trouble. I wonder who's piloting?"
The plane made a rather poor landing at the far end of the field,
perhaps half a mile away. They could distinguish a man getting out of
the cockpit, but of course at that distance they could not identify
him. However, he seemed to be coming slowly towards them.
As he advanced nearer and nearer Linda noticed that he wore an ordinary
suit of clothing--not a flyer's uniform, and he kept his hand in his
pocket. But she still did not recognize him--unless he was that new
man the school had taken on the preceding day. Once he stooped over,
as if he were picking something up, and Linda's heart beat wildly with
hope. Could it be that he had found the necklace? Apparently, though,
it was only a plant that he had pulled up by the roots, for when he
straightened himself, he seemed to be examining its leaves.
"In trouble?" he shouted, as soon as he was within hearing distance.
Ralph jumped up and ran towards him, shaking his head in the negative.
"No trouble with the plane," he replied. "But we've lost a little
box--with a necklace in it. You haven't seen it, have you?"
"Why, yes," answered the man slowly, "I did pick up a box." And he
put his other hand in his pocket, and drew out the very article.
Fortunately it had not been broken; even the rubber bands were still
tightly around it. He handed it to Ralph.
"Oh, thank you a thousand times!" cried Linda, too relieved to believe
her eyes. "The necklace was a graduation present to this man's sister,
and she values it very highly!"
"Well, if that's all, I'll be off," said the man, as he watched Ralph
put the box into his pocket.
"No, I must reward you," insisted the boy, taking out a twenty-dollar
bill. "And by the way, you're from the Spring City Flying School,
aren't you? We recognized the plane."
The other nodded, and seemed in a hurry to be off. Already he was
twenty feet away.
"It was awfully nice of you to follow us, and look after us," called
Linda, "but really we don't need protection. We're getting along
finely!"
But the man was running now, and could hardly have heard what Linda was
saying. In a couple of minutes they heard the motor start, and with a
clumsy take-off, the plane ascended.
"A queer cuss," remarked Ralph. "And I can't see that he's much of a
flyer. You and I are both better--by a long shot.... But anyhow, we've
got the necklace!" He put his arms around Linda and hugged her, and she
was too happy to protest. What a miracle it was to have found it!
"That will teach me a lesson," said Ralph, as he helped Linda gather up
the lunch. "I'm going to be more careful now. I've put the necklace in
my most inside pocket!"
"And I'm not going in for any more acrobatics for a while," added Linda.
They climbed into the cockpit, and started the motor without wasting
any more time. Half an hour later they made a graceful landing at Green
Falls' Airport, for a group of a hundred spectators to witness and
admire.