Air Wonder Stories, May 1930 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

‘AIR WONDER STORIES brightly in the rays of the moon. _ “The blackies were right, Jim, when they. said ‘that no trees grew in the valley. Look out there, just a clear rocky floor, stretching as far-as you can make it, out between two high ridges of rock. There is scarcely enough grass on the ground to cover it, and not a A single tree ahead of-us.” “Tom,” was Jim's reply, “My compass is stuck tighter than the devil. I can’t even shake it loose.” “We won't have much use for it just now, so that doesn't matter. What we want to do now is’ see that your gun fingers don’t stick. We've got a clear stretch before us and not a straw to hide behind, That means that we're not going to be able to take them by surprise.” “This place gives me the creeps. Why you can’t even hear a darn cricket chirping and there isn’t a-sign of a bird around. In fact there isn’t a ‘single sound to be heard outside of the wind” “Don't worry about sounds. The chances are that the night creatures around here heard tus coming and are scared stiff, Tt isn’t every day that human beings are seen travelling around this close to the valley. Listen, Jim, Weldon is in there and we're going in after him, Get me?” “All set, Tom, start going. There isn’t a two-legged man that can throw a scare into me, but that valley gives me the creeps, There’s something uncanny about the place.” “Well, here goes. Follow close now, and keep your eyes peeled as well-as your ears.” Quietly but swiftly they started out across the clearing toward the flat barren stretch of land running between two massive ridges of rock. “We'll head for the ridge on our right and stick close to it,” Tom spoke in a- low tone, “We may have a chance there of finding a notch to dive into in case we want to suddenly make: ourselves. scarce.” N up the moon-lit valley floor they pressed, the rocky ledges getting steeper and higher as they. progressed. They were now. walldng on broken loose sandy dirt which stretched ahead as far as they. could see. The moon had now become blanketed by clouds and darkness swept down over the jungle: night. “God, this place is creepy,” Jim spoke in a low tone, “There's not even-a weed growing here now, and there’s not a tree or a blade of grass in sight, Why! there’s not even a bug in the air or a creature in sight anywhere. Just silence, Dead nerve-racking sil—” “Bank of. thunderheads in the west, Jim,” was.Tom’s reply. “We're in for another of these, tropical storms.” “Pom!” Jim’s voice made-his companion turn with a start, “T see an object up ahead. Looks like it might be—” “Tt\is, Jim. It’s-a plane. The moon's. coming out again. See the blades glittering on her in the moon-light?” “We'll soon know. what’s what then,” Jim’s fingers tightened on his pistol butt as he spoke. “Keep your eyes peeled,” his companion cautioned as he hurried forward, “Those air bandits may have a nest in these rocks here, It’s about the only place fora secret hide-out.” “T wish we'd meet those devils and start some action. I’m losing my pep, Tom. This. hiking isn’t.in my Sine.” "Tt isn’t the hiking that’s doing you out. Remember how Weldon: felt when he came down?” “You mean that—” “That we are in that mysterious magnetic field right now. Your compass will show you that much. It’s having the same effect on us that it had on Weldon.” “Then you feel it. too?” “T sure do, and the further we pull into this valley the worse it is getting.” “Then it looks like Wwe are approaching the source of this screen.” “Yes, but if it keeps up we'll not be able to make: it much farther,” Tom replied, “We'll see what we can discover at the plane anyway. She's tery. a quarter of a mile away now.” “Well, I don’t blame the darkies for giving this place the taboo,” Jim remarked as they hurried forward, taking advan- fage of every shadow thrown by overhanging rock ledges. “There isn't even a bug in the air, and look at those white bones out there.” -“That's, Weldon’s ship, Jim,” Tom remarked as he left the shadow of the rocks and advanced toward the centre of the valley. ‘The moon’s just gone under another cloud, so now's our chance, Let’s step.” Quickly the two cut across the distance between the rocky wall and the wrecked ship, taking advantage of the shadow cast over the barren valley: floor by the clouds. “Duck!” Tom warned his companion as they approached the wrecked airliner, “Get under those broken wings, the moon is coming out,” Another Mystery FINAL rush and they/were in the shadow of the wreck, but none too soon, for the next moment the bright rays of the moon reflected brightly on the floor of the valley. “We'll take a look around and see that we're not spotted,” Tom again spoke, “Then we'll look her over.” “Tom |” Jim elutched his companion’s arm as they crouched in the shadow of one of the braken wings, “Look! that. white thing out there looks like a sheet.” “God! you're right, Jim, it’s a parachute-and Weldon’s prob- ably under it, Look! There's another cloud pulling under. the <moon, and it'll shade this place long enough to allow me to slide over to that ’chute. Now you stay here and see that no one~creeps up onus. Get me?” “All set, ‘Tom. Get going, and if anyone tries to get vou, Fil spot him: Leave the rifle here, and I'll cover you.” ~ Again the valley was. wrapped in gloomy darkness as a large cloud hid the moon from view. Tom wasted no time, for run- ning in a stooped manner he started out toward the white object a-short distance away, Carefully Jim listened for a sound that would tell of the ‘approach of another -party, but utter stillness prevailed in the valley... Only the sound of the wind as it swept around the rocky, ledges high above, reached his ears, _Not a sign of the bandits’ or other fife could be detected. Feeling assured that so far they Had not been discovered, Jim made a quick examination of the wrecked ship, His first thought was of the mail bags, They would be gone no doubt, but he’d look anyway. Looking down-into the badly smashed mail compartment, an expression of surprise swept over his face: The mail bags were still there: He was instantly on the alert. The mail was still in the ship untouched, therefore he reasoned, the baridits had not yet located the fallen ship. He strained his eyes for a sign of anyone approaching, but not a sound save the wind reached his ears, He. was-aware of the increasingly tired feeling weakening him—overcoming him: = “God! I wish Tom would hurry,” he muttered to himself. “This place is. getting me and if we don’t soon start, I'll not be able to hold ott until we-get back to the plane.” He looked up at-the sky as the moon-light broke through a small opening in the heavy cloud beneath it. Taking advan- tage of the momentary flood of light he looked across the _valley floor toward the white parachute. A small dark hud- dled object lay motionless half way to the white object, and Jim grasped his rifle firmly. The shadow of the cloud again swept down over Skeleton Valley, and he saw the dark object move. It was Tom, rapidly: approaching under cover of the COMME XO <S.COl x a ar ig