Air Stories, April 1936 — page 47: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

GUNMAN’S GOLD dog team from the shelter of the spruce on the lake shore. Though he couldn’t recognise them, Don felt sure they were the two alleged trappers he had taken in a few days ago. His alert hand snapped the throttle shut. The big Fokker nosed down steeply. ‘* Look!’? the girl yelled. The two men had taken up positions neara clump of brush. One of them was unslinging a rifle. Their dog team stood ready. The Snowmobile, its driver unsuspecting, drew nearer to the ambush. Don flung his machine down fast. The man with the rifle heard the ’plane, and as the Fokker came in to land, the Snowmobile appeared around a bend in the trail. Quick as a panther, the man with the rifle leaped out on to the trail. He ordered his partner to make the dog team ready. Tommy, seeing the man ahead, stopped his engine. He opened the door and was about to step out of the car, when the man raised his rifle. Don saw the upraised weapon. He was too far away to help... Taxying under full throttle, he raced madly towards the bandits. The man with the rifle aimed deliberately at Tommy. Don saw a puff of smoke, and Tommy plunged face down in the snow. As the cat-driver fell, the girl in the cockpit screamed. ‘‘Tommy, Tommy, oh, my God !”’ Like a flash it came to Don that Kitty Dawson was not, as he had first suspected, in league with the bandits, but was in love with Tommy. That was why she had been interested in the cat-trail. He glanced at her now. She was pulling a pistol from her handbag. ‘* Hurry, hurry !|’’ she beseeched him. ‘*They’re taking something from thecar.”’ The two men were lifting a heavy box, amply studded with brilliant red seals, from the front seat of the Snowmobile. They flung the box into the cariole, and the man with the rifle picked up his weapon again and faced the onrushing ’plane. | He had nerve, plenty of it. He stood his ground until the ’plane was but a scant fifty yards from him, and took careful aim. His rifle cracked spite- fully, The engine of the ’plane slowed down quickly. Don cut the throttle, grasped the small pistol from the girl’s hand and leaped to the snow. A bullet snapped viciously past his head. He fired two shots from the pistol, but they flew wild, and the bandit with the rifle raced to the cariole. His partner curled his lash about the dogs, and with an outbreak of yapping snarls, they swept down the trail. Don stopped his running. There was little use in attempting to catch the dog team. They could pull those two men and the slight load with the greatest of ease over the smooth trail. In four hours they would be in Fraser, where they could charter a ’plane from the Northern Air Lines, and be out of the country before anyone was even aware a robbery had been committed. There was nothing to stop them. The engine of the ’plane had been damaged by the single shot ; Don didn’t know how badly, but it had been enough to make him close the throttle in order to prevent further damage. There were no other means of speedy transportation available. Don regretted he had not equipped his ’plane with radio apparatus. He could have—— ‘*Can you start the Snowmobile ? ’’ Kitty’s voice cut in on his thoughts. He turned and went back to where Tommy lay on the trail. Kneeling beside the stricken man, he saw a spark of life still lingered. There was a ragged wound along the left temple. It bled profusely. Don was about to go to his ’plane for a first-aid kit when Kitty spoke. There was authority in her voice. | ‘*Get that Snowmobile going. Ill look after Tommy. Get going and catch those thieves.’’ CHAPTER IV The “ Mounties ” Get their Man ON sprang to the driving-seat of the Snowmobile. He reached for the switch. The switch-key was missing. ‘‘Damn,’’ he muttered whole- 333 COnnicloo SJ (SO)