Air Wonder Stories, July 1929 — page 62: what you’re looking at

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

60 AIR WONDER STORIES strange disappearances can be laid to one person or ring working under one head. The South American police have naturally been baffled, for in all these years no other clue has ever come to the surface, and all the combined efforts of the various goverments of the Latin countries have not availed in discovering the culprits. “What is hard to understand is how have they managed to keep these serious matters away from the world. Of course such news would be most injurious to the nations of South America who look forward to the in-pouring of tourists and wealthy visitors. In Brazil the Argentine, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia and in fact every coun- try where white women have visited the toll has been taken, How many more than the four hundred and thirty-five recorded kidnappings have taken place, we have no way of telling, And perhaps our South American friends might have continued to hide the truth had not the abductors themselves be- come so careless in their actions as to give away more clues, forced themselves, in fact, on public attention, so that our friends below the equator were forced to admit what was happening! “T might even say that the woman-stealers have become incensed by the attitude of the South American police, at the utter disregard of them by the officials, and are now making it a point to bring themselves to the_ notice of the world. On the other hand it may be that, so long unrestrained, they are merely becoming careless and with a spirit of bravado are indulging in wild escapades, in ex- travagant gestures. “Tt was the disappearance of Marion Hally, daughter of the well-known Herbert Hally, sports- man and dilettante artist of New York, that first brought Rio de Janeiro to the realization that some- thing had to be done, In two weeks’ time more in- formation has come to light than in over two. cen- turies. “On March 4th the thing happened, but for al- most two weeks the news was kept secret as there was hope of finding the missing girl. It was the father that exposed the truth to the public when he offered the munificent reward of one hundred thousand dollars for the recovery of his daughter or at least for word as to her whereabouts. The story was printed on handbills and distributed throughout the city as it was evident that Hally would not depend on the newspapers to make the announcement, “The story says that Miss Hally had gone for a jaunt on her horse, followed only by an attendant by the name of Jose, through the winding paths of the vast estate of Sefior Alvarez Ricardi y Murado at whose home the Hallys were visiting. The equerry kept a respectable distance behind his lady, speeding his horse as they rounded each curve so as to keep her in sight, The ride was, at first, anything but eventful; the sun was hot, the day warm. Gradually Jose fell farther and farther behind until suddenly awakened by the shying of his horse he recalled his responsibility and whip- ping up his horse was surprised to find his mistress riding in the company of a man who was likewise horsed. “The stranger’s costume struck Jose as singular, since the equestrian was entirely wrapped in a black, completely enfolding cape. Under his wide- brimmed hat was a tanned hawkish face that re- minded the equerry of a bird. Miss Hally appeared very much interested in her escort and the two were conversing with animation. Jose fell back again and was aroused from his lethargy only when a piercing scream brought him to attention. Spurring up his horse he raced ahead. The path took a wide curve, a hairpin curve in truth and although the voice was near at hand it was necessary for him to ride in a wide circle to reach the spot from where the voice had come, He saw the two horses grazing quietly beside the road but there was no sign of their riders! “Leaping from his horse Jose looked about. On the ground ten feet away he found the long cape of the stranger, and to it was adhering several black feathers, glossily ashine, and several inches in length. Farther on he found Miss Hally’s stiff little riding hat. But though he searched in all di- rections and repeatedly called her name there was no answer. Once he glanced up at the sky and saw what appeared to be a large bird of black flying high and very swiftly though he appeared to be carrying a burden. It was only after much question- ing that he bethought himself of the bird, but, of course, the police did not consider that a clue. Nevertheless the disappearance of Marian Hally is still one of the unsolved mysteries. “Tn the following week there were several tales that paralleled that of Miss Hally. And it was found that there was always a man with a black cape near the scene of the abduction. Someone was sure to liken him to a bird and usually a few feathers of different colors were found! The hue and cry went out for a black caped man. “It was in Quito, Ecuador, on March 17th that the real clue came to light. It was in the new Sal- vadora Hotel where Miss Hilda Berkenhart was visiting with her father. The Berkenharts are of old Swedish-German stock and Miss Berkenhart, blonde and handsome, was often spoken of as the Viking Maid. Junoesque, tall, wide-shouldered, overflowing with the vitality of her healthy body, she was a true daughter of that once great race, a prize-winner if ever there was one. “Tt appears that she, with several other guests of the hotel, had entered the lift. One by one the others got off at their floors. She had a room several floors higher, She, and a tall slender man with fine aquiline features, and wearing a dark blue cape that hung to his feet, were now the only occupants beside the elevator-boy. The latter was a small slender Irishman who had found his way into the tiny country on the Equator, and he was sudden- ly aroused from his memories of the Emerald Isle as he realized his male passenger had addressed him. ‘Drive to the roof!’ had been the command. “Miss Berkenhart started to protest, but turning the boy saw that the be-caped man held a revolver trained on them both. Up they went to the roof, ‘Get out!’ The girl and boy under the persuasion of the gun hurried to obey. From under his cape the man next brought forth a length of cord. “Tie her hands together,’ he had directed the elevator oper- ator; and under the menace of the revolver the girl allowed him to do it. ‘Now tie her feet’. That was done. ‘Go back to the lift now and descend to the lobby !’ comnlicloooks.com