Air Wonder Stories, May 1930 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

to-night, I'll close.this-base down «until the mystery. is cleared— orders or no orders. There’s’some sort of air trap on this run, and I’m going to find out just what it is.” “Tt won't be hard to-close the field down if Weldon crashes,” Jim replied, “for there won't be.a man here that'll take a ship up until something's. done.” “Well, I'm taking every safety measure I know of to help him through on this run. Do you hear that buzzer on the wall?” Both pilots ‘listened as the intermittent sounds of a buzzer came to their ears from the wall over the chief's desk. At intervals of two or three seconds the little metal box gave out a short clear note. f,"” Watson said, “is operated by radio signals Fecclved from a small automatic transmitter on Weldon’s plane. As long as we hear these buzzes we'll know at least that-he is all right.” “What good will that do?” Tom spoke up, “What we should have done was to trail him in another ship, and be nearby if he got into trouble.” “And lose two more planes instead of one.” “Not necessarily—” “Listen, Tom, you have your ideas as to what is playing havoc on this line as well as I. Now I’m going to tell you fellows-what my- idea is, and my reasons for it.” “Shoot,” was Jim’s brief comment. “Well, did you fellows ever hear of:Skeleton Valley?” “Sure,” Jim again replied. “The line passes over it. It's ae my mei AS au ‘ } ( tty ney ¥ ‘-: a sort of cavern, as:seen from the air, about a mile wide and sa around twenty or more long and plenty deep,” ie “And have you ever heard any rumors about the place?” “There-have been yarns around that the jungle natives won't go near the place on account:of some sort. of spirit devils that are supposed to live in the valley,” offered Tom. “But you can’t believe any native. stiperstitions.” “As’a rule, no. But in this case perhaps we can.” “What do you mean?” as “T mean that-a place such as that valley, miles from the : nearest white man-and, shunned by the natives, would be an excellent spot fora nest of air bandits,” “Great Scott!” exclaimed Jim, “Air bandits out here?” “T had that idea too,” Tom offered. “These ships are-carry- ing some valuable mail including the diamond shipments and payrolls between these two fields, But I doubt if there could be much air gunning done without being seen-by some natives, and in that case the news would soon‘reach the settlements.” “Yes, if they used guns; but suppose our air bandits were scientific enough to have a ray that-could demagnetize or burn out the generators and electrical systems of the planes, then the ships would just naturally become paralyzed when they hit the beam, and glide down into the-valley to-crash against the rock walls or crumple up on the floor.” ~ HE others remained silent as Watson paused in his talk, and for the space of a few minutes only the buzz-buzz of the little device on the wall broke the stillness, Then the chief continued: “Tf a man really did invent a beam of stich a nature and ; determined to keep his discovery-a secret-and use it criminally “= to his own personal benefit, then there could be no better place to try out'such a device, with minimum chances of detection, than in Skeleton Valley.” “Tt sounds-reasonable allright,” Tom agreed, “As far as the possibilities of such being done in- the valley, But,” he added, “Any tan inventing a beam like that would not he likely to use it in such a way. Why, he could sell the rights to such an invention for a good fortune.” “Ves, that’s true, but some men having 9 criminal streak in them, would rather use their discovery the illegal way just for the excitement that it offers. Anyway, it seems to be the most AIR WONDER STORIES reasonable explanation.” - - ; “It looks as though you've hit it, chief” Jim spoke up, “Everything points that way. Your idea would: help. explain why the boys have so many electrical troubles. Take Weldon for instance; it was in the Skeleton Valley area that he ‘lost the beam and found his compass useless. No doubt they tried to bring him down, but outside of paralyzing his instruments, they were unable for some reason to stop:him. Then there’s Simpson ; -his whole radio outfit, went deader’n a tack hammer in- that neighborhood. Whether it’s a ray that is causing all this havoc or not is hard ‘fo say, but it sure begins to look that way. That would explain why nothing happens. when the gov- eriment planes*make the run,’ “Well, those other ships went down during storms,” Watson commented. “That would be just the time for bandits to: bring «down a plane, causing the rest of the world to believe that the storm had forced her down.” “Weldon will: soon be pulling up over that valley now,” Tom said. “He can’t be more than a hundred miles from her now. I'm going to stick around until he gets past.” “Well I'm not figuring on leaving here for a while myself,” Jim replied walking over to examine’a large map-of the route hanging on the wall, i CHAPTER II The Story of Skeleton Valley HE next moment the loud speaker of the radio set filled | the room with its roar, and the three men turned as one toward the instrument, “Kimberley Air Field 64, Hello Watson.” The well known voice of Weldon. came from the speaker. Quickly throwing the changeover switch of the antenna to the transmitting side, Watson at once answered the call, then switched the receiver into circuit again. “Got you O. K., Watson,” the pilot’s voice catne in again, “Motors are running perfectly, radio. reception is good and beam signals clear. Storm approaching ahead, I'll call you~ again, chief.” “Didn't I tell you,” Jim burst out as the yoice ceased, “Storm approaching ahead, that means from the south-west. An hour ago you would have thought, looking at that sunset and clear sky, that there would shave been perfect weather all along the hop. That's where this tropical weather gets my goat. You start out with-a clear signal and within an hour you're bucking the worst storm that ever hit your blades,” “Tf he can orily keep to the beam,” ‘Tom replied, “He'll have little: to fear from the ‘storm, for these Greysons can ottride anything short of a tornado.” “Yes, but about every third storm around here 7s a tornado.” “Say, chief,” Tom turned to Watson, “Where did they get the name Skeleton Valley?” “Well, as near as I can tell you, that name started from reports from natives that no man or beast entering that valley ever returned; -and that the floor was practically covered with the bones of those-caught in there.” “Of course,” Jim spoke up, “these yarns are exaggerated due to the superstitious. nature of the blackies, but_still, you will find’ that: whenever they put»their taboo on a place there is often some reason for it. outside of imaginative ones,” “Approaching close to bad storm,” Weldon’s voice came from the wireless receiver, “Beam signals weak, motors perfect, com- 4 U pass is acting queer. May have to leave the beam soon and = rise above the. storm.” . = “Hello, Weldon,” Watson spoke into the transmitter as he io slapped the switch to the transmitting side. “Keep to.the guid- s ing beam all the way, if you can, unless it runs through the 4 core of the storm. Your chances are hetter if you stick to ‘4 the beam and open her up full.” hig ee COMM EIOOXS.COMn