Argosy: The Short Story Magazine — page 82: what you’re looking at

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

+ tte fF [Pr < >¥ .! . er se 4 s 2 - d - 82 DAVID BEATY To Bates, listening hard, it seemed almost unbelievable that ‘there was anything beyond these clouds, that the world’s laws of physics and motion still held good in this grey, limitless universe. As though some unseen hand was disciplining it, the needle on the radio compass started to hunt only about twenty degrees either e. side of dead ahead. ss Seeing its performance, Bates felt more cheerful. ‘“‘ We’re get- ting nearer, Skipper,” he said. ‘‘ Seems just slightly port. Could you alter 5 degrees to the left? ”’ “I’m following the needle now,’’ Kelston replied, ‘as far as it’]l let me.”’ Ten minutes later, the pointer steadied. Still slightly left. FY was pounding out now with a much more heartening strength. Suddenly, the needle seemed lost. It turned now one way, now the other, as though trying to make up its mind. Then decisively, | 4 it toppled over, and pointed behind them. p ** Over it, sir,’ Bates shouted. * “So I see,”’ Kelston said. ‘I’m turning on to one-three-five ie degrees ... out to sea. Throttles right back.” . The engines died down to nothing. ‘“ Ill have to put gear and half fap down, Mr. Hawkins. We've got to get down fast and I don’t want the speed to build up. Not in this turbulence.’? The : pump whined as it forced the hydraulic fluid into the terrific pressure needed to put the wheels down. When they were locked, F: Kelston lowered the flaps. Due to their drag effect, only 140 knots showed on the indicator, yet Easy Zebra was approaching the sea at over 4,000 feet a minute. Had the aircraft been aerodynamically clean at that rate of descent, the speed would have been 100 knots more, and the air- craft’s fuselage liable to heavy punishment in the inevitable colli- sions with the up-currents of the storm. ‘The pressure built up = uncomfortably fast, as though they were all in a vertical type of 5 Super-Chief, hurtling downwards instead of horizontally. Bates | swallowed hard, trying to clear his ears. Even at that slow speed, Easy Zebra shook and shuddered as 2 though she had suddenly gone mad. The pilots’ panel vibrated like a steel-and-glass jelly, making the erratic readings of the instruments blurred and difficult to follow. ‘The aircraft was plunging deep into the black stomach of the storm; and Felicity retched violently in an effort to dislodge her. When the altimeter showed 3,000 feet, Kelston eased up on the rate of descent, and put some power on the engines. There was one good thing, anyway, that he had noticed. The air tempera- : ture was above freezing at last. ‘The ice over the fuselage had started to melt rapidly. *“* How far d’you plan to take her down, Skipper? ”’ Shaughnessy asked. “Till we see something.” Kelston brought the flaps up. Then he raised the gear. Cau- tiously now, he felt his way slowly down. The altimeter unwound 'y4-a, ET comiclooolkks.comn)