Air Stories — page 50: what you’re looking at

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

AIR STORIES or whatever it was, stand this strain... ? Surely not! It must have parted, for the braking force had stopped. But so had the Nimrod—with its wheels on the very lip of the chasm |! Gingerly, Meek slipped his harness, grabbed Colt and Very pistol in either hand and stood on the seat. He fired a light into the air hoping to impress the natives, but the effect was disap- pointing, for, now that he looked about him, most of his audience seemed to have disappeared. There were only three people in sight—an enormous native, whose grinning lips revealed two rows of even white teeth, and a man and woman, wide-eyed with amazement and joy. They came forward quickly. ‘‘For H .. Heaven’s sake don’t touch this k..k..kite!’’ shouted Meek, with a scared glai.ce at his precariously- placed wheels. ‘‘I.. I'll get out.’’ But Umtata apparently did not under- stand, for he made a dive for the fuselage, lifted the tail without apparent effort, and trundled it back to a safe place. A few feet from where it came to rest lay the rope, wrinkled and limp, and broken in the middle. ‘‘ Phew !’’ said Meek, as he caught sight of it, and his face was several shades paler than before as he leapt from his cockpit and faced Grant. ‘‘Any t..trouble with the n.. natives, sire ’’ he inquired as calmly as he could. ‘*No,’’ said Grant, who, under the stress of his emotions, spoke with even more difficulty than had Meek. ‘‘ Not now! You frightened the cause of all the trouble over the gorge. Anything in that?’’ He touched the water- bottle that is part of an airman’s equip- ment on overseas duty. ‘* Rather, sir,’’ Meek replied, unsling- ing the bottle and handing it to the girl. When both had drunk, Grant spoke loudly and in a strange language, and after a while scores of natives appeared from all directions. They stooped low and seemed in abject fear, but as Grant continued they lost some of their appear- ance of terror. | But Meek was paying little attention, 48 for now he had other things to think of. There was the awkward problem of getting away from this spot and back to the ship—not to mention the question of what he would say if, and when, he got there. ‘Look here, sir,’’ he said, when Grant had finished his address. ‘* Do you think these people could p..p.. p.. possibly mend this rope? I shall need it to g..get off from here. I reckon that if I were to t..t..t.. turn my arrester-hook round, and these c..c..chaps were to hold me back till I signalled, the pull of that r.. rope would be enough to g.. get me clear.”’ Which was the longest speech Meek had made for some considerable time. Grant grasped the airman’s hand and wrung it warmly. ‘‘ Thank you,’’ he said simply, but with a depth of feeling that conveyed more than elo- quence. ‘‘ You took a grave risk coming down here. I know little of flying, but enough to realise that. Thank you. The rope shall be repaired ; these men will give no more trouble now; they will do what they are told.’’ He called Umtata and, while he explained what he wanted done, Meek turned to the girl, and there was a sudden twinkle in his eye. ‘““yY ..you are M.. Miss Judy Grant. aren’t you? ’’ he smiled. ‘* Yes,’’ gasped Judy, ‘ BUC hOW 3... t Meek grinned widely. ‘*T just d.. dropped in to give you a message from my sister, M..Mona Meek,’’ he said. ‘‘ She sends you her 1.. love.”’ astonished. CHAPTER VI — Return of a Hero ORNING gave place to afternoon, afternoon to evening, and the crim- son sun dipped into the Atlantic. Its fiery rays lit H.M. Aircraft Carrier ‘* Uproarious ’’ with a lurid glow as she rode placidly to her anchors. But all within the ship were not so peaceful. Down in his cabin, Captain Jervis fumed with impatience. LDOO