Air Wonder Stories, August 1929 — page 40: what you’re looking at

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

134 AIR WONDER STORIES would probably get to as high an altitude as possible, We determined that, while keeping our course for New York, we would go up in search. First, we got in touch by radio with Dick Schuyler’s headquarters, but while we were asking for him, he himself broke in from another direction. “I’m just taking a flip out to meet you, Jimmy,” he explained cheerfully. “Look out for me soon.” “Have you heard from the Parnassic?” I asked him. “Just got the radio from her captain. The airship notion seems to be all right. Anyhow, we cops are acting on the idea, and are going through our particular sphere with a fine comb. It’s a silly question, Jimmy—but you haven’t seen any signs of a dirigible, have your” “No, I'd have told you-——” “Help us in this. Climb as high as you can with- out discomfort to your passengers, and keep a sharp lookout. If you see anything, tip me the direction, and we'll be after the jokers like a knife. For the nonce, so-long, Jimmy! Cheerio, Dan!” Dick’s request came on the heels of our own de- cision, We had-already turned on extra heaters and the compressed air, and were climbing good and high. We kept up a bright lookout, but until Dick and his scouts hove insight below us to the west, the upper air was clean’ of aircraft. As we dropped to meet him, Dick began an- other discussion. He agreed that the likeliest di- rection in which to look for the raiders was to the northward, and on ‘his order-his five scouts made a sweeping movement tinder our bows to starboard which was pretty to watch. He himself came near enough to us to let us see his cheery grin and to give us.a wave of his hand, before turning to follow, is scouts, Presently all six were the merest dots on our starboard quarter. It was worth while carrying a passenger like Miss Torrance. She was keenly alive to everything that was happening, and, like her uncle, took a use- ful part in the lookout, In fact, she had her eyes so steadily fixed on the upper air that we were in ‘ood: sight of New York before she realized the andfall. I will say that her first view of the city was al- most worthy of her. I have never seen the old hive look quite so splendid. It was one of those cool bright sunny mornings we sometimes get in March that make everything look so clean. The pale golden light picked out all the towers and pinnacles of the city in. wonderful definition, until they became mere points of light against: the smeary blue of. the distance. This blue distance rose up and up till it lost itself in-the tawny. base of the sky, and from that, cloud was piled on cloud in an arch that curved towards us in gold and pale tan and grey, to end in dazzling white against the deep blue right over our heads. The waters of the bay looked in the sun like a filmy grey-green gauze carrying countless spangles, except where the tall buildings threw their long shadows, which were deep indigo with lighter patches of pure cobalt. I think even Lord Almeric was stirred out of his habitual quiet by the sight. “My dear,” he said to his niece, “you are to be envied. New York has summoned all her charm to greet you. In all the years I have known her, she has neyer seemed so winning.” “Lovely, lovely! See all the buildings like golden cliffs,” the girl cried. “So tiny! It makes one think of man as only a very industrious insect— like the weeny. things that build the coral islands.” “Then you have to thank Mr. Boon for giving ou a god’s-eye view of your kind, Kirsteen,” said Ton! Almeric with a smile, She tutned to me, and looked up, with those serene blue eyes of hers very grave. “Do you ever develop a godlike indifference to the invisible little active creatures below you, Mr. Boon?” “No,” said I. “I’m afraid I’m always too con- scious that I’m just one of them myself, and that my particular activity is only a part of the human scheme, Miss Torrance.” She turned to Milliken with a smile, and his wide grin about split his old face. “What about you, Mr. Milliken? Do you ever feel superior ?” “Bless you, miss,” said Milliken. “I know the old earth’s pulling at me all the time, and that some- time Tit have to-give in and get down. Yow can’t be a god if your job has a string to it.” “The philosophy of flying in a nutshell, Kir- steen,” Lord Almeric laughed. ‘ “T see I must not become imaginative,” said Miss ‘Torrance. “Mr. Milliken is braver-minded than you are, Mr. Boon. I’m sure there are moments when he isn’t earthbound.” eae When Milliken goes red, he gets black—if the Irishism can be excused, I have never seen him quite so dusky as he was when he pushed the Merlin into the long drive that would bring us into our hover to the landing-stage at the Battery. It was a marvel to me how quickly he and Misg Torrance had understood each other, and I was not a little envious of my mechanic. I’d have given -a good deal to have said something that pleased her. Well, anyhow, the god’s-eye view soon became the ordinary human view, and we floated gently up to the seaplane jetty just after the quarter to nine. — My father had already arrived. In fact, I had seen the Seven pass far below us as we came down over Long Island. He was waiting for us on the landing- stage, and he and Lord Almeric shook hands like ~ old friends. There was a trifle of formality to go through with the customs, but that was soon over. Lord Almeric and Miss Torrance poured thanks on Milliken, who was to take the Merlin back to Gardiner Bay, until he was almost ebony colour with embarrassment. Then Dan and I joined the party to go uptown for breakfast. A Faux Pas HILE we waited for Lord Almeric and Miss Torrance to discard their wraps and themselves comfortable after the flight, Dan and I gave my father a full account of the morning’s doings. He already had heard the bare particulars, as supplied to the press by the captain of the Parnassic, for the papers were selling in the streets with the news. The full force of the air police, both the sea and land divisions, had been. mustered at once to sweep the air in wide radius round New York. The navy and the river police were active among the shipping at sea and in dock. Through the night, the territorial police had been scouring town and country, examining garages and _all places comicbooks:com