disappeared so suddenly and mysteriously. He was one of the best liked
air-pilots in the whole corps, I read again and again; and oh! what a
thrill it gave us both to realize how he was even being compared to
Lindbergh himself. Could anything be said to make a mother's heart
thrill more with joy--or that of Buddy's best girl also?
"To be sure," she went on, with a winsome little smile, "he had never
done anything great, to make him famous, in the way of wonderful stunts,
or long perilous flights over wide oceans, and such, but every one
seemed to know how his heart has always been wrapped up in the cause of
aviation, and that he would be willing to lay down his very life if by
doing so he could advance the day when flying will be much safer than
going by train or boat."
Jack soon realized that there was no hope of learning anything from this
source capable of opening up a promising line of thought. Suzanne was
only too eager to tell everything she knew, but after all it amounted
only to an exhibition of her affection. How she conceived the madcap
idea of herself starting out, "only a half-baked pilot" she called
herself in humiliation, just hoping that something--she knew not what,
for it would have to be in the nature of a near miracle, as Jack very
well knew--would have to come along to draw her to where her Buddy must
be lying, waiting and praying for needful aid.
Jack knew very well, although not for worlds would he have hinted at
such a thing in her hearing, that since three full days had by this time
gone by, poor Buddy must long since have passed on. Unless of course
some Good Samaritan had found him where he lay injured and perhaps
starving, and taken him in charge. A happy accident like this was one
chance in a thousand because of the uninhabited wilderness.
She had pictured the old mother striving to believe God would surely
keep her boy safe in the hollow of His omnipotent hand, so that Jack had
to wink pretty fast in order not to let her see the tears in his own
eyes--such confidence and assurance was really beautiful; and for one
thing it caused Jack to resolve more than ever to let no ordinary
obstacle daunt him--for the sake of that fond mother and this courageous
if ill-advised young lady who just refused to yield to despondency even
when the skies looked most gloomy, and hope hung by just a slender
shred.
"Depend upon it, Miss Cramer," he told her, gently, after he realized
that nothing was to be gained by pressing her with further questioning;
"both Perk and myself are booked in this game, and we mean to leave no
stone unturned in trying to find Buddy. Others who are engaged in the
search will make all manner of sacrifices too. So great is the warmth of
feeling for that faithful mother who is forced to stay at home, and
leave the sacred task to strangers. If concerted effort is able to
accomplish anything we'll succeed; if all our efforts fail us, you must
try and believe it is for some wise purpose which we cannot see with the
weak human eyes."
She looked at him with an expression that made Jack realize how much of
her confident spirit was make believe--that deep down in her sensible
heart she knew very well what terrific chances there were against
success coming to reward their efforts--that much of this had been
assumed in the hope of buoying up the falling hopes of that poor mother,
left bereft of her only boy, the stay and pride of her aging years.
He saw her clamp her white teeth together as if forcing herself to brush
aside that sinking feeling, and show the old dauntless spirit that had
thus far carried her safely through a sea of doubts and fears.
When she spoke again it was with a ring in her voice that thrilled him
to the core--he only wished he could take on a measure of that
indomitable nature that would not give up.
"But we'll find him," she was saying, slowly but fiercely; "I just know
we will, that's all--his mother needs him, his only girl needs him, and
we've _got_ to bring him back to his old home--alive, or--dead!"
XXI
COMBING THE MOUNTAIN-TOPS
Jack admitted to feeling a trifle disappointed when his talk with
Suzanne afforded no signs of a clue upon which to build a structure;
although truth to tell he realized how almost absurd that hope had been.
Surely Buddy's disappearance could hardly hinge upon anything that had
ever taken place in his old home town--such a cheery, companionable lad
could not have any enemies--Suzanne had not hinted at such a thing as a
jealous rival in the field, who might give way to wicked thoughts.
No, the whole occurrence must be what everybody believed--a sheer
accident, such as was liable to happen to any air pilot braving the
elements day and night in the pursuit of his regular vocation. He had
gone down, so now the only trouble was to locate the scene of his mishap
and, as Perk at another time had been heard to say "pick up the pieces,"
meaning no offense by such a remark.
"If you don't mind," the girl was saying shortly afterwards, "I'd like
very much to be allowed to use your glasses. I possess good vision, and
perhaps the great stake I have in this search might make me argus-eyed
indeed."
"Certainly you may make use of them," Jack told her, reaching out to
secure the binoculars, showing her how to work them to meet with the
best results. "If you do happen to see something that excites your
interest, just call our attention to it--sometimes two pair of eyes are
better than one, you know, Miss Cramer."
So she sat there, staring down as they moved swiftly through the realms
of space; but not too swiftly. She seemed to be trying to cover all the
ground possible, ever and anon lifting her gaze to sweep a look at more
distant objects.
Again and again she would stop in her movements as if to concentrate her
scrutiny upon one particular spot; Jack, watching with sympathy filling
his heart, could imagine how the poor girl must be suffering even though
failing to show it. He would feel a spasm of eagerness on each occasion
of special scrutiny only to lose it again as she continued her search of
the grim countryside that was so bleak and so unpromising.
Meantime Jack was keeping one eye on the lower heavens, with the
expectation of sooner or later discovering some far distant moving
object, that he would know must be some other air craft, doubtless
engaged in the same mission of humanity and mercy that employed all
their own efforts.
It turned out that he had not held these expectations in vain, for along
about the middle of the morning such a tiny blur was discovered far
away, which grew somewhat larger as the minutes passed.
Upon calling the girl's attention to the moving object that to the
unaided eye might just as well have been set down as a wheeling buzzard,
she quickly pronounced it to be a plane, sweeping at a low altitude
above the rocky mountain peaks, as though those aboard were scrutinizing
the depths and heights that lay underneath, just as she had been doing.
She cast frequent eager glances in that direction, while not allowing
her interest in the wild terrain over which they continued to pass, to
slacken. Jack could detect a certain wistfulness in the way she watched,
just as though she might be wishing them all the favors of Heaven in
meeting with success.
The ship swung around, and went off in another direction, as though the
pilot might be following out certain ideas of his own. While it was yet
in plain sight, though growing fainter in the lower haze, she uttered a
low cry, and said excitedly:
"Oh! look Jack, look over in the north--another ship, and a cabin
biplane at that. Do you think they are working on the same lines as the
rest of us?"
Jack reached out a hand for the binoculars, and took a good survey;
after which he announced that everything seemed to point that way.
"They're keeping low down, also moving quite slowly; and if on a regular
flight they would be doing neither of those things, you understand. Yes,
and I have no doubt that within a hundred-and-fifty miles of this spot
in every direction there are twenty--thirty such ships, large and small,
with each pilot doing everything in his power to be the lucky one to
find your Buddy."
She continued to observe the two planes as if lost in serious thought,
to finally say with a little catch in her voice, for she still had the
earphone harness attached to her head:
"I wish them every success possible; for it does not matter who the
lucky pilot is, every one of them will be remembered as long as I live.
The only thing that counts is to find _him_--alive!"
As if to emphasize the yearning that was in her heart the girl stretched
out both hands toward the two distant ships; and there was something so
pathetic in the mute action that neither of the other would ever forget.
Then, as though just as sanguine as ever she accepted the glasses from
Jack to continue scanning the ground they were passing over, hoping to
sooner or later meet with a glorious success.
Jack himself was far from feeling the same enthusiasm--doubtless it was
because of his superior knowledge of the vast difficulties staring them
rudely in the face; then again he did not have that true love for Buddy
buoying him up, as was the case with Suzanne.
Perk was thinking that since noon had rolled around it might be just as
well that they munched a trifle of food, so as to conserve their
strength, with a long task ahead of them, when once again the girl
uttered a cry. Perk not being equipped just then with ear-phones could
not catch what she was saying so excitedly; but at least he was able to
surmise its tenor--she had undoubtedly made some sort of discovery, for
her face was marked by animation, and she kept pointing down toward some
part of the rocky country, trying to direct Jack's attention to it.
Perk saw his chum take the binoculars and follow up the particular line
in which Suzanne was pointing. Long and earnestly did he stare, with her
eager eyes glued on his face. Then Jack sadly shook his head, as if
deciding in the negative.
Whatever it was she had seen to thus arouse false hopes his good sense
told him it was not worthy of their further investigation. This
naturally caused her to be bitterly disappointed, although she managed
to bear up bravely, and even smiled whimsically--pitifully Perk called
it, for he was deeply interested in the wild search, and hoping with all
his heart it might turn out successful, though his good sense and
training told him only a near miracle could accomplish this.
None of them seemed to have much appetite save Perk, and that always
hungry individual was never known to refuse an opportunity to treat his
clamoring "tummy" to an extra meal--Suzanne hardly touched a morsel and
when Jack tried to persuade her that she owed it to herself to eat, she
shook her head and told him it would choke her if she did.
Then once more was the everlasting vigil resumed--indeed, while the
others munched a snack the girl had kept the glasses almost constantly
employed, as though under the conviction that if any slackening of her
observation came about that might prove to be the undoing of the whole
scheme--a chain is only as strong as its weakest link; and ten minutes
relaxation in the way of covering the ground they were passing over
might be fatal to their success.
Again about the middle of the afternoon she once more believed she saw
something calling for a closer scrutiny. This time she was not so
excited as on the previous occasion, possibly taking warning; but she
pressed the binoculars on Jack--Perk still handling the controls--and
directed his attention to what she believed was a smudge of smoke
arising from amidst the side of a steep mountain where the rocks were
piled up as though giants had been playing ten pins.
Once more did Jack bend all his energies to figuring out what the smoke
could mean; he disliked telling her it did not offer any real hope, for
he could see that it was the end of a forest fire, such as may have been
tailing up the long ravine for many days, and feeding on all manner of
trash falling from the scraggy pinon trees that managed to cling to the
otherwise bare walls.
The poor forlorn girl broke down and cried bitterly when once more her
hopes were dashed to the ground. Perk shook his head, and gritted his
teeth, for it greatly disturbed him to hear her weeping; Jack tried to
comfort her as best he could, in a man's clumsy way. Soon the fit wore
away, and Suzanne was her own brave little self again, the look of
sublime confidence once more coming into her face. And so the weary hunt
went on as the sun slanted down the western heavens, with a cruel night
ahead of the searchers.
XXII
AN AIR-MAIL WAY STATION
Once they sighted an isolated town in a valley, but this failed to
arouse any particular enthusiasm. If anything had been seen by those who
lived in such a remote place, the glad tidings would have long since
been sent out to the world, since it must be understood how the entire
country was alive with eagerness for a satisfactory solution to the
mysterious disappearance of the young air-mail pilot.
Jack rather imagined that this might be the place where Buddy Warner
turned up missing--where at a certain hour his schedule was to have
brought him down from his sky trail to leave and pick up the mail--but
alas! he had failed to come to time, and day after day an increasing
number of scurrying planes continued to scour the surrounding country in
the endeavor to pick up a clue.
Jack could make out the landing field with his naked eyes but when
Suzanne pressed the glasses on him without saying a word, he proceeded
to make good use of them.
A plane had just landed, possibly in the mail service, for there was
more or less bustle in its vicinity and he could see a small Ford car
starting off, as if with a bag or two of letters.
Apparently their passing over failed to excite the people, for while
they were staring up and displaying a certain amount of interest, they
made no signals, showing there was no good news, as possibly the girl
had been hoping.
"They have been seeing any number of ships passing over during the last
few days, I reckon," he told her, just to have something to say, and
perhaps also relieve her evident distress a little, "so understand that
nothing has been found, or the joyful news would be transmitted by radio
or wire."
Taking it for granted that he had figured correctly, Jack altered his
plans. If Buddy had never made his goal and delivered the mail at this
station, the chances seemed to be that he could hardly have gone
past--that whatever happened to him must have occurred before he came to
this place.
This being the case, they would show the part of wisdom to swing around
and start back the way they had come. It would be a good policy to
zigzag back and forth so as to cover all the ground possible. Jack had
taken particular care to find out what he could as to the sort of night
it was when the disappearance took place. Whether there was any kind of
bad weather and which way the prevailing wind chanced to be blowing, for
that must be taken into consideration in order to get as close to the
facts as possible.
So now when about to head back, he knew just which side of their late
course must call for their serious attention. Another thing he kept
before him was the important fact of eight or ten hours apparently
wasted. Night was approaching and they could not have even the slightest
hope of making any sort of discovery.
Since in following out his new plan of swinging back and forth each few
miles, covering only short distances ahead, by the time twilight fell
they would not be a great distance from the valley in which that town on
the air-mail route nestled. What was to hinder them seeking it out
again, and finding a safe harbor for the hours of darkness?
When he found a chance to talk with Perk, changing the ear phones from
the girl to his chum, now resting up after a continuous service of many
hours, the latter absolutely agreed with everything Jack advanced.
"Shucks! we couldn't 'spect to strike anything while the night lasted,
just keep moseyin' around to kill time an' in that way usin' up a whole
bunch o' gas, 'sides mebbe losin' track o' our job. Yep, I'd say it'd be
a good thing all 'round for us to drop down an' give the girl a chance
to rest."
That seemed to settle it, insofar as Jack was concerned for it was
always good in his mind to have his partner agree with him, Perk being
no fool but an experienced airman of many years standing.
The seesaw movement gave them an opportunity to cover considerable
ground, even while they made but scant forward progress. Jack was not at
all concerned about this lack, his one desire being to effectually scour
the country so as to feel they had not been lax in their duty.
He took mental notes as they went along, so as to always remember just
what course must be pursued in order to fetch them back to the cozy
little valley set like a gem in the heart of that inhospitable mountain
territory. This was only in keeping with Jack's customary system of
preparedness. A habit that had proven most valuable to him more than a
few times in the past.
They were once again over the high elevations so that it was necessary
to change their altitude frequently in order to keep within reasonable
distance of the ground which they were searching for a clue. Now they
had to climb in order to clear a lofty peak and immediately afterwards
drop down so as to comb the further side of the rocky height, as well as
the deep ravine lying between the several mountains in the mighty chain.
It was interesting work, but with such slight chances for success, much
of the glamour was lost for Jack. As the friendly sun was about to drop
behind the western horizon, so jagged, so fantastic in contour, they
must soon give up the flight for that day and hasten back to the valley
town where a safe landing could be effected and a decent meal secured,
something to tempt poor, disconsolate and yet brave Suzanne to break her
long fast.
Already it was growing difficult to distinguish objects in some of the
canyons and defiles over which they sailed, indicating that they might
be missing something of value. Accordingly Jack swung abruptly around
and rising like an eagle on the wing, started to go back.
He could see that Suzanne noticed this abrupt change in their course for
she displayed some uneasiness. He motioned to Perk to let her have the
earphones again and proceeded to explain just what must be done.
At first the girl was distressed, for to her mind it looked as though
her staunch friends might be growing weary of their hopeless quest and
meant to abandon it altogether, but as Jack carefully explained why it
was necessary they should land for the night while the opportunity
offered and that nothing would be sacrificed in so doing, Suzanne began
to comprehend and nod her head in approval.
"We can stop over and get rested up instead of keeping on this gruelling
task without the slightest chance for accomplishing anything," he told
her finally, though immediately adding: "that covers the night only, for
as soon as morning comes we shall start out, fixed to keep going all day
long."
"I understand just what you mean, Jack, and I don't know how to thank
you both for all you are doing for me--for Buddy--for Ma Warner, waiting
there at home and hardly sleeping a wink as she thinks and thinks and
prays her boy may be given back to her safe and sound."
Jack did not say any more, he could not because by now his own hopes
were diminishing at a rapid rate. Was it any wonder that such should be
the case when three full days had now crept along since the air-mail
pilot vanished into the realms of space, and never a single word coming
back to explain his fate?
For the sake of this brave girl, so ready to risk her own life in the
service of the one she loved, he must try to keep up a confident front.
If it was ordained that she too must see her hopes crushed, at least he
and Perk would have the satisfaction of knowing they had done everything
in their power to bring her great joy. So too, that anxious mother in
the far away home, what gratification it would give them if they could
dry her tears and be helpful in bringing her boy back to her arms.
They were now nearing the valley where the little way-station on the
air-mail route lay between its majestic sentinel snow-clad peaks. Jack
meant to circle twice at least, so as to get a good idea as to how the
ground lay for by now daylight would be giving place to dusk in that
valley, and visibility not all they could wish, so it would pay them to
be very careful.
Jack could see that Suzanne was greatly interested and he knew just why.
Here at this mountain station, Buddy was in the habit of landing every
time his flight took him back and forth. Doubtless he had made friends
with some of the town folks, especially those connected with the flying
field for his was a nature that always attracted people. It agitated her
to realize that she might even hear him spoken of in the highest terms,
and what pride such a thing must stir up in her young heart!
Jack was circling the field and constantly dropping lower with each
round so that he had already been able to pick out the exact spot where
he meant to land.
XXIII
PERK LOSES HIS VOICE
Knowing that one of Perk's failings lay along the line of talking a bit
too much on occasion, Jack had taken pains to warn him against too much
loquacity when making a night halt in this mountain town.
He had had occasion to take his pal to task along similar lines more
than a few times in the past. Perk was too apt to forget that secrecy
was always a leading card with all reliable members of the service in
which he was enlisted.
That he emphasized this fact on the present occasion did not mean there
was a particular reason for keeping the lid on, lest some desperate
character hiding in the isolated place from the long arm of the
Government's deputies try to do them harm--but simply on general
principles.
Only too well did Jack know there were men who had reason to hate all
having any connection whatever with the Secret Service--men who had been
sent to Atlanta or Leavenworth, to pay the debt they owed organized
society. Through the entire period of their incarceration never a day
had passed without their renewing a vow to sometime or other to get even
with the members of that organization responsible for their
imprisonment.
When their wheels came in contact with the ground in a perfect three
point landing, they found themselves greeted by a number of men, ready
to proffer any assistance that might be required, especially when it
became known that the strangers intended to stay over night.
The presence of a girl pilot aboard the visiting craft also aroused
additional curiosity for likely enough this may have been the very first
time the town had ever played host to a genuine aviatrix.
Perk, to make doubly certain he did not babble, decided to play dumb as
much as lay within his power. He could talk hoarsely as though suffering
from a bad cold and loss of voice, a tricky game that gave him secret
amusement, Jack rather suspected.
Jack soon learned they would surely find good accommodations at one of
the hotels and a man who introduced himself as Caleb Cushman kindly
volunteered to carry them there in his five-passenger car, handily near
by.
This neighborly offer Jack immediately accepted, asking the other if he
could wait a few minutes until some arrangement was made for storing
their crate in a convenient hangar. Everybody seemed eager to oblige,
and Jack really had to choose between three separate generous offers
from as many parties.
He had already discovered that a man wearing a pilot's outfit and who
seemed to be in some authority, named Bart Hicks, was in addition to
being in charge of the field, an instruction pilot whenever some young
fellow aspired to learn the ropes, after fulfilling the examination
necessary to being licensed as a full-fledged air pilot.