Air Wonder Stories, May 1930 — page 79: what you’re looking at

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

AIR WONDER STORIES The Air Trap (Continued from page 973) distance-ahead, and a ray of hope revived the pilot. With set teéth he-plunged on and-in a few more minutes ‘had reached the first clump of trees where he sank wearily to the ground. There = was-a glow of the devilish hue about him, but it was very: y faint-and “too weak-to prove harmful, ZS “Tom,” the weak voice of his companion attracted his atten- -tion, “Go on, Tom. Get out of here. You've got a chance, if you’ beat‘ it.” . “Don't worry, Jim, we're both out of it. The fresh air will soon haye you back on your feet.” : But the storm had: passed: and the ground rapidly drying before Jim could exert sufficient strength to regain his feet. “How are you feeling, Jim?” “Pretty shaky. No life in me at-all. No taste, no feeling—” “Well, you'll soon pull back, I’m just about O.K. again now. But you'll pull wp faster if we get farther away from this cursed place. Here, lean on me and we'll take our time.” “How in the devil any air bandits could exist in a place like that beats me,” Jim remarked as they slowly made their wa: back towards their plane. ~ < “That's one reason why. there are none there.” “What?” “What:we said: about a magnetic field existing over the valley was right,” Tom grinned. “There is one there, but it was not put there by any air bandits. That valley has a deposit. of some ctirious mineral that is continually giving off energy in the form of electro4static. The whole valleyis located over this bed. This electro-static leakage continues all the time and keeps the soil and the air of the place in ‘an tthealthy con- - dition, That's why you see-no vegetation, flies or other life in there. The natives knew that there was something unhealthy oe the place and kept away from it. Now. one proof-that Gueey mineral deposit is giving off static electricity is the ee that’ when the ground becomes moist the energy escapes at a faster rate, until you can see it-at night in the form of amber-colored shoots of fire. Also—” UT do you mean that just because the ait becomes mioist, the static in the air over the valley increases so-much that it even paralyzes the ignition systems of the planes?” ‘ ) “Whenever it is raining,” Tom replied, “there is usually a thunderstorm passing over the valley. The clouds in this storm are charged with a potential opposite to that of the ground and occasionally the difference of pressure of the two forces is sufficient to cause a lightning bolt to strike the earth- some where. That discharge~of lightning looks like a discharge from the sky to the earth but. really there is as much energy passing: from the earth to the sky along that flash during the discharge. -Now, when a storm passes over the valley, its clouds, charged oppositely to that of the forces inthe valley, cause a drawing effect on them, and the leakage of energy from the ground to the: sky increases greatly as it passes up in an attempt to neutralize the forces. of opposite charge in the elouds. Also the moisture in the air and the ground increase the conductivity. of the air between the clouds atid the ground. “This valley, Jim) seems to be an endless and limitless source of such energy, and during-a storm it releases such a heavy discharge of static that it drowns. out radio signals, makes the compass freeze and point up and down, affects the human sys- tem producing that sick tired feeling, And when the difference of pressure becomes very great, the discharge from the valley is~so violent that fire and electrical energy will leak ‘off into the air from every sharp point or object that is touching the ground and: pass Straight up into the air. “The magnetic force of that field over the valley is so great during a thunderstorm that the ignition generators of the planes -are affected so that they start missing and sputtering. As a ship enters into the heart of the powerful ‘static field between the clouds and the valley, the plane’s ignition system steadily becomes worse as the electrical energy fails, But the effects of the magnetic fields alone are not responsible for the death of Weldon or the others who will likely be found in that val- ley. There is a poisonous element in that mineral deposit under the valley-and it leaks off with the static discharges: It is this that poisons the air, and if you remain in the place long enough will kill you completely.” : “Wait ’till Watson hears about this, Tom,’ Jim said wearily, “Yes, I expect there'll be a few government inspectors that will get transferred from the South African territory when Watson lets loose.” Tue Eno, The Arctic Rescue (Continued from bage 983) tionitiz as well as could be expected, I turned the Great Whale's tail as high as possible, and we floated right for the hilltop, The captain got his landing rope ready and prepared to lasso the flagstaff, _ “Tf I miss it,” he said, “maybe the rope is long enough for some of those who are standing down below to grab ahold of it, Here’s hoping!” But he did not miss. Asrwe sailed ovef its top, he dropped a noose with unerring aim fairly over the staff and drew it tight. Willard and I caught hold to help steady the ship and oy THE bring it to a gradual stop as the rope paid out, We held our breath for fear the sudden strain would snap the flagpole, But our gallant craft responded nobly; she swung around into the-wind, and with the painted banner flung wide, ‘came to a standstill. A great shout went up from the erstwhile breathless crowd, while factory and fire whistles all over the city let loose in concert, answered by the deeper voices of the ocean liners an] by the smaller craft far up and: down the river. The flight of the Great Whale was over. Enp, , comicbooks) cor Fe