Air Wonder Stories, December 1929 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

almost like grabbing him by the collar and casting him through the window. I was angry at the ship’s delay, angry and ill-humored-at the beginning of the adven- ture. I suppose my days of bachelorhood had created within me a certain temperament that could-be satisfied only by instantaneous compliance with my wishes. Suddenly the little man spoke into-a tube, and the room reverberated with the rasping sound of: his am- plified voice: “Eastern Star, forty-five minutes late, is now-nosing down to anchor. Passengers. will. deposit their: hand baggage with the checker for delivery~on board: the liner. The Eastern: Star will take off in- exactly eighteen minutes. Tokio first landing! All aboard!” There was-a sudden scramble toward the elevators. At a signal from the operators, the little man pressed. a button on his. keyboard and the doors closed; the lifts were moving upward rapidly, I shot a glance toward the station’s great windows; a deep: shadow, was darkening the.space, and I felt.a slight jat as the huge ship’s nose came into contact with the electro- magnetic plates which drew her downward to anchor. My ship had arrived at last; but I waited-on the ground for Jack Worthington until the rush for the elevators had ceased; though I was anxious to see the surface _ appearance of the Eastern Star. 2 Presently Jack ushered me to-one of the lifts; at once we were wafted- upward and deposited on the closed platform. A ship’s officer was waiting on the landing, glancing nervously: at his wrist watch. He leoked up and bowed to. Jack Worthington, who was mumbling something to himself about the expense of a forty-five- minute delay.. Far below, the din of busy city life clanged irritatingly in my ears; even though the sound was muffled by the enclosure. There was the clatter and scraping of baggage, as the two-score handlers lifted it from the express elevators and shot it down info the liner over bearinged ramps.and through com- pressed-air chutes, Then, as I understood, it would be sorted out in the ship and labeled according to its destination — Tokio, Peiping, Nanking, Calcutta and- other. points, Captain Markson, a-rather large, muscular man with gray hair and steady blue eyes, appeared and-addressed my friend. “Y’m mighty sorry, Mr. Worthington,” he said seri- ‘ously, but with a trace of nervousness in his manner: “But I think I can make up that forty-five minutes, once I get up in the rarefied-air regions.” “Of course you can, Captain,” Jack replied, smiling with a lightness that I knew was forced. “What hap- pened to you: over the Rockies?” “We were cruising along at our regular clip,” the captain explained, “when we ran head on into-an up- diaft, some miles east of their usual area; I hadn’t expected a stiction-stream so far east. I was in for it before_I knew; but we managed to fight out. of it without any damage, although about half the passengers are almost nervous wrecks. There’s a lot of old women on board, you know; mostly school teachers from: the Middle West, wanting: to see the Orient from the. air. Anyhow, the up-draft was not as severe as some I have encountered in the past; but it took forty-five minutes of steady fighting to keep from being lifted beyond our altitude limit, and get out of it.” _ “There must be quite a blow over the Rockies, Cap- tain?” I put in. “Worse than an ordinary blow, sir,” he replied, positively. “There’s no comparison between an. up- er down-draft and a blow.” FLIGHT OF THE EASTERN STAR ‘ “This:is my friend, Mr. Rodman, Captain Markson,” Jack said“by- way. of introduction: “Take care of him , aboard. Show him everything and give him the run of-the ship.” Captain Markson grasped my hand tightly and wrung it with friendly wat “Glad to have you along,_Mr. Rodman,” -he said: “[’m_-sure you will enjoy the flight. There’s everything on the Eastern: Star that is needed to. keep a man comfortable and happy.” - “Any fascinating widows aboard, Captain Markson?” asked Jack slyly and glancing my way. I felt my cheeks burn. Jack Worthington winked and the captain nodded pleasantly. : “I repeat that the Eastern Star. boasts of everything required to keep aman happy,” he said, smiling. “Just the same, gentlemen,” I replied, feeling some- what nervous-at the thought of enforced. association with nervous females of uncertain age: ‘“T don’t think T'll_be much interested. in your lady passengers, I'll stick.with the officers, since I may.” CHAPTER II The “Eastern Star” Y friend laughed loudly; he then:turned to the captain and addressed him ‘seriously. “There's a valuable consignment of gold bul- lion being put aboard, Captain Markson,” he said ina low tone: “It must be delivered at Peiping by 9:00 A. M,, local time, Thursday. If you fail in making delivery by that hour, the company. will lose the $100,000 guaratitee which we have given against delay.” “Don’t worry, Mr. Worthington,” the captain re- plied: “We'll arrive. in Peiping hours before that. The bullion will-be-delivered on time.” A uniformed officer brought: the. ship’s clearance papers. The captain glanced at his chronometer, im- patient to be off; then he-turned to his superior, ~ “Does anyoneknow about the consignment, Mr. Worthington?” he asked. “None but the shippers, the consignees and the three of us, Captain,” Jack replied, “Why?” “Oh, I just wondered-if there were any chance of a raid upon the gold,” the captain returned: “Well— there-won’t be any up-drafts to delay us between here and Peiping, sir. We'll make it in plenty. of time. I'll let you know of anything unforeseen. Good-bye, Mr. Worthington, We'll-take good case of your: friend”. —__ “He'll take care of himself well enough if you allow him, Captain,” Jack said, nodding. : “Never had a nurse, male or feriale, in-all my life, Jack,” I grinned. - “I can- get along all right providing the captain gives me a bodyguard to keep his foot-loose schoolma’ams away from me,” “Then you stick close to First Officer Madden, and the women will let you alone,” Jack said, good-humor- edly: “He's got the ugliest facein the whole universe; but he’s a better sport than a dozen average men put together, even though he’s not a ladies’ man,” : “That's about right, gentlemen,” Captain Markson laughed: . “You'll be safe with Madden. Adios, Mr. Worthington.” “Good-bye, Captain,” Jack replied, and turned to me: “Let. me know if any of the men or officers on the Eastern Star fail to treat you-right, I'll fire ’em on the spot. And-see if you can’t walk some of that paunch off you"—he poked me playfully—“Have a = good time, Tom. Be sure to see me when you get back.’ r