_The Accident_
At seven o'clock the following morning, after eating the hearty
breakfast upon which Mrs. Stillman insisted, the girls entered the
Pursuit, and taxied off, waving farewell to Elsie, Roger, and their
hostess. Of the large family, only these three--and the cook--had
risen in time to say good-by. Even David had overslept; but his eldest
brother was on hand to help the girls get their start.
Fortunately, the rain was over, and both Linda and Roger believed that,
barring mishaps, the flyers should reach their destination early in the
afternoon. With this hope, both girls kept their spirits high; they
refused to worry about Linda's father until they saw for themselves.
For Miss Carlton was likely to look upon the dark side of things, and
it was probable too that the help at the ranch were frightened by the
accident to their employer.
Tears of gratitude came to Linda's eyes when she saw the enormous lunch
which Mrs. Stillman had been able to provide at such short notice, and
she did not know how to thank the kind woman or her son. So she merely
smiled gratefully, and waved good-by.
Louise kept the map of their course in her lap, and for two hours they
flew on, making no attempt to talk, but every once in a while pressing
each other's hand in sympathy and affection.
As the sun was growing hotter and higher in the sky, Linda was
beginning to wonder whether they were not somewhat off their course.
She examined the map.
"We ought to be nearing that town!" she shouted, pointing to a spot
which Roger indicated by a large dot on the map. "And I don't believe
that we are."
"Fly lower!" suggested Louise. "Let's see!"
Cautiously the young pilot descended, but though both girls looked
eagerly, there were no roofs or other evidences of a town. An almost
continuous expanse of shrubbery seemed to cover the ground, and Linda
did not care to land.
So she went higher again, and pointed her plane south, trusting that
they were right.
For two hours more they continued to fly without seeing any of the
landmarks for which they were so eagerly watching. Afterwards Linda
remarked that she believed they had been going in a circle.
The sun was almost directly overhead now, and both girls were feeling
hungry, for their breakfast, though substantial, had been an early one.
They were just considering opening their box to eat, when Linda noticed
a queer noise in the motor.
"Something's wrong, Lou!" she shouted, trying to smile as if she were
not worried. "We'll have to land."
"Here?" gasped Louise, in horror.
"Yes. Watch the ground! We must find a good place."
Louise was gazing about at the sky and the horizon, when, turning
around, she happened to glance at her companion's face. A set look had
come into Linda's eyes, her lips were rigid. Uneven, yet deafening,
was the threatening sound of the motor. Suddenly it let off a terrific
explosion.
"Will we be killed?" screamed Louise, hoarsely.
Linda did not try to answer. She needed every ounce of brain power, of
energy for the test that was ahead of her. She was working frantically
with the joystick. So Louise too, kept quiet, and looked over the side
of the plane--and prayed.
At first it seemed they were dropping terrifically; but gradually,
frightened though she was, she could feel that some safety device was
taking hold. The speed was lessening. Down, down they went, but more
gradually now.
And then they were close enough to the ground to see it. A woods of
stumpy trees stretched under them, but over to the right was a field.
Would Linda be able to guide the plane there, or must they be dashed
against the tree-tops, to meet a sickening death?
How would it feel to be dead, Louise wondered. And oh, her poor mother
and father! Even in those few seconds, it seemed as if her whole life
flashed before her, and although she was really a very sweet girl, she
believed herself a monster of ingratitude. Not a bit like Linda--who
was always thinking of her Aunt Emily and her father!
Linda, on the other hand, had no time for any such thoughts. She was
working as she had never worked before, guiding her stricken plane.
And--miracle of miracles--they were passing the tree-tops! They were
over a field of weeds.
"Thank God!" cried Louise, reverently.
"Wait!" whispered Linda, not sure yet that they were safe.
The landing was not easy. The plane came down and hit the ground and
bounced up again. Suppose it should pancake? Linda held her breath,
suffering greater agony than Louise, who knew less of the dangers. But
in a moment the valiant little Arrow came to a stop, in the shrubbery.
In a rapture of relief and thanksgiving, Louise grasped Linda and
kissed her, while the tears ran down the young pilot's face. For a
moment the girls sat thus in silent embrace, each too filled with
emotion to speak.
"Come, let's get out, Lou," said Linda, finally, and shakily they both
stepped from the plane.
"I wonder where we are," remarked Louise, trying to make her voice
sound natural.
"We'll get out our maps and study the situation. But first let's eat.
I'm simply famished. It must be noon at least."
They found upon consulting Louise's wrist-watch that it was ten minutes
of one.
Resolutely deciding to be cheerful, they opened the hamper which
Louise's Aunt Margaret had packed. What a delicious lunch!
There was a whole roast chicken, and tiny dainty lettuce
sandwiches--at least a dozen of them. Pears and cherries, and lemonade
in a thermos bottle. And a beautiful little layer cake evidently baked
just especially for them, though how the cook had managed it, they
had no idea. They spread out the paper cloth and attacked the food
ravenously.
"It looks pretty desolate around here," remarked Louise, as she nibbled
at a chicken leg. "I don't see a house in sight."
"Or a road either, for that matter," returned Linda. "I wish we could
get to a telephone--and send a call for assistance."
They ate silently for a while. How good the food tasted! In spite of
their distress and worry, both girls enjoyed that lunch.
"Have you any idea what is wrong with the plane?" asked Louise, as she
broke off a piece of chocolate cake. "It was all right yesterday."
"Yes. That mechanic at the airport gave it a hasty examination. Funny
he didn't notice anything so serious as this.... Louise, do you suppose
that Roger could have done anything to it?"
"No," answered Louise, thoughtfully. "No; I think Roger knows what he's
about. But I have an idea, Linda."
"What?"
"Do you remember hearing a plane very close to the house when we were
playing ping-pong last night?"
"Yes. I thought it was the air-mail."
"So did I. But I believe now it was the Pursuit--with Dan piloting!"
"Dan Stillman?"
"Yes. He's a regular daredevil. And you know Roger won't let him fly
his plane."
A pained look came into Linda's eyes, as if she herself had been
mistreated.
"Oh, Lou, that seems awful," she said. "He wouldn't do a thing like
that, would he?"
"He must have. Remember, he went out right after supper. And he's so
conceited. He wouldn't think he could hurt it. But I'll tell you how
to find out--look at the gas. You remember you had her filled at that
airport."
Holding their cake in their hands, both girls dashed excitedly back
to the plane and looked at the dial which indicated how much gasoline
was left. And, sure enough, the supply was running low! Too low to be
accounted for by the flying they had done that morning. In fact, it was
almost gone.
"You're right!" cried Linda. "Oh, Lou, now we're in a worse pickle than
ever. We'll never get to Daddy!" The tears ran down her cheeks.
"Don't!" urged her chum, putting her arms around the other girl.
"Don't give up yet! We'll find somebody--on some road--who will send a
mechanic to us. And we'll be at the ranch before night!"
"I hope so!" replied Linda, bravely trying to keep up her courage.
They went back to the spot where their lunch was spread--luckily there
was plenty left for supper, in case they needed it--and packed the
remainder again. Then, arm in arm, they set out in quest of a road.
They walked in an easterly direction; that much they knew from the sun.
What they saw appeared to be a flat country, without even any fences or
signs of cultivation. Gazing off in the distance, they could faintly
distinguish the outline of a house--but it might be five miles away, or
it might be fifteen. Or it might not be a house at all; perhaps just
some abandoned building or mill.
For half an hour they walked aimlessly onward, till they finally
reached a dirt road.
"This is encouraging," said Louise, hopefully. "Let's drop down and
wait here till something passes. We don't want to get too far from the
plane--if we get out of sight, we might not be able to find our way
back."
They sat down on some moss by a small tree and consulted the time. It
was half-past two.
Everything was extremely still. No noise of motor or traffic anywhere.
No voices. So strange after the places they were used to, for even
Green Falls was noisy. And the birds were quiet, too--or perhaps there
weren't many, for there were no big trees.
Linda yawned. "I'm so sleepy."
"Take a nap," suggested Louise. "You deserve one!"
"Hardly fair," returned the other. "Aren't you sleepy too?"
"Not so sleepy as you are. Go ahead! I'll wake you if anything comes
along."
"And suppose nothing does?"
"Then I'll wake you anyway at three o'clock. We'll have to strike out
in some other direction."
So Linda curled up and went to sleep, and Louise, yawning, wondered how
she could possibly manage to keep awake. The whole atmosphere was so
drowsy--and there was nothing to do.
"If only there were a place to swim," she thought, regretfully. "Cold
water would make me a different girl!"
But there wasn't any water at all, as far as she knew; indeed, she and
Linda didn't dare wash in the small supply they carried with them. For
they might need it for drinking.
She never knew how it happened, but soon she too was peacefully asleep.
For two whole hours both girls slept the dreamless sleep of fatigue.
Then, at a quarter of five they were suddenly awakened by the rattle of
an old, tumble-down cart, pulled by a haggard horse. The girls sat up
with a start, and looked at each other and laughed.
Jumping to her feet in an instant, Louise ran hastily towards the
driver. He was staring at them with great curiosity.
"We have been in an airplane accident, and we want to get to a
telephone--" began Louise.
But the man only shook his head and grinned.
"Nicht versteh'," he replied, helplessly.
"He's a foreigner," said Louise, turning back to where Linda was
standing. "A German, who doesn't understand English."
"I can speak German," said Linda. "At least, I had some, Freshman year.
Let me try him!"
But already he was driving away.
"Wo ghen Sie?" called Linda. "Warte!"
He stopped driving, evidently amazed at her words, and pointed to the
road ahead of him.
Encouraged by this display of intelligence, Louise jumped up on the
cart, and waved her arms in the direction of the airplane, in the field
half a mile away.
"We want _help_!" she cried. Then, turning to Linda, "What's the German
word for help?"
"I don't know," answered the other girl. "But I think he understands.
If he does meet anybody, I think he'd send them to us."
So Louise climbed down again, and waved good-by to the man as he
continued on with his cart, and, faintly encouraged, the girls went
back to the plane to eat their supper.