Bill Barnes Air Adventurer, July 1935 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

ae papers of your exploits with Bill Barnes’ tamous squadron of fliers and are proud to be privileged to name you among our friends. Perhaps we should say “sons.” A curious thing has occurred. It prompts our asking you to delve back into your memory to help us solve a sor- row and mystery that seems almost more than we can bear in these, our last few years—I am much afraid that Mrs. Wyn- dam is not long for this world unless the thing is cleared up quickly. As you know, conditions have been frightful all over the world. England has been no exception. Young Dick has had little success. in finding a profitable enter- prise since his graduation from Oxford. After a great deal of pleading on his part we finally consented to his going to Madagascar as Virgil did before the War. He has had the idea in the back of his mind ever since he was ten years old, when Virgil told him stories of his life there. We are sure that Virgil owned a large _ tract of land but we’re unable to find any papers felatine to if, Correspondence with officials on the island of Madagascar has netted us nothing. Dick wanted to go there to establish a claim to Virgil’s land and then develop it. After some discussion we financed the venture. Dick left, via steamer, from Marsailles for Tamatave, on the east coast of Madagascar several months ago. We heard from him regularly until he arrived there. Then, after one letter, we heard nothing mere. He has vanished as though he had been swallowed up by the earth. We have used every means known to us to: make some contact with him. Our foreign office has done every- thing possible. But they have not found Dick. _ We have written to you because just before Virgil was killed. in 1918 he wrote us that he had been talking to you about going back to Madagascar with him after the War. He wrote us that you had agreed to go. It occurred to us that he might have told you facts that he with- held from us about his property there— where it was located, etc. We beseech you to probe your memory and give us any information you may recall, anything Virgil may have told you. Something that seems of small conse- quence to you may be the clue for which we are frantically searching, so leave nothing unsaid. BILL BARNES The loss of the last of our four brave sons seems more than we can bear. I beg of you, my son, to help us. Sincerely, THomas WyNnpDAM. When Bill looked up from the letter his eyes were both misty and puzzled. He shook his head sadly. “War, and its aftermath, is a great thing,” he said, sardonically. “For whom?” Shorty asked, savagely. “Can you give them any information about Virgil’s land on Madagascar?” Bill asked. ‘“That’s just it,’ Shorty answered, frowning. “We talked about going out there after the War. I was just a kid. It didn’t make any difference to me where I went in those days.” “Or since,” Bill said, dryly. “T can't recall the details of the things the major told me,” Shorty went on. “I can’t remember names or places. I just remember that it was Madagascar. You see I got a couple through the shoulder that same.day the major was killed. I also got a frightful thump on the head. Gave me concussion. I didn’t know anything for days. Managed to land my crate, after it had caught fire in the air, behind the allied lines. that happened that day has always been hazy in my’ mind. Sometimes little things come to me, but they seem like a dream—unreal.” “You can’t link up this attack on vou to-night with this letter?” Bill asked. “Not even remotely,” Shorty said. “Maybe-the police will have some record of the man. . That may help.” “Tedoubt it; <ul said. 2 It's deeper than that. After the police get through with you why don’t you take a trip for a few days and see if you can’t remem- ber some of the things these people want to know. They seem to be in pretty bad shape.” “1. -know,° shorty said; .““Fhis- kid Dick was all they had to live for. They lost two other sons beside Virgil in the oO Comiclhoolk< Everything | 5}