Bill Barnes Air Adventurer, July 1935 — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

AIR ADVENTURER “He mustn't get here,’ Zimmerman said. “He must be stopped.” “How ?” “Easy!” Zimmerman said. “We have ten fighting planes, fully armed and almost seady for delivery. Heilner and his men will be ready to leave Europe with them any day. We will cable Heilner to follow the course of this fellow Barnes and his men. Heil- ner will take care of-them, Wher Barnes finds himself pitted against an old War flier like Heilner he will find it is a different matter than being thrown against the slobs they are train- ing nowadays.” Boettner shook his head from side to side. His eyes were shining with admiration. “Trust Hans to think of a way. he said. “Heilner will knock him out of the air with one hand while he eats his lunch!” “If Heilner is as good as he was in 1918 he won’t need either hand,” Zim- merman smiled. Suddenly the smile disappeared from his face and it became hard and cruel and treacherous. He pointed his finger at Boettner. “You remember that Hans always thinks of a way, he said, his cyes threatening. “We all agreed that I was always to be in command. Don’t lose sight of that. We will all get along better—and live longer if we keep that in mind.” 37 Fear crept into Boettner’s eyes for a moment as he gazed into the merciless eyes of Zimmerman, A hundred thoughts flashed through his mind. Thoughts that had to do with his miece and Zimmerman’s attentions to her. They had brought her to Madagascar to impersonate the descendant of the last queen. The gullible natives had be- lieved their story and were ready to fight to regain the island that had he- longed to their fathers and grandfa- thers. Now Zimmerman was hinting at making himself the king after Boett- ners niecé was on the throne. Ehen, Boettner knew, Zimmerman would get rid of him and would have to share his gains only with Heilner—until he got rid of Heiner — He decided that he would talk to Heilner after Heilner had got rid of Bill Barnes. “T am keeping it in mind,” he said, placably. “I am always keeping it in mind.” “That is better,’ Zimmerman said, hitching his chair closer. “Now, Belcher cabled that Barnes is on his way to Bermuda and is going to cross to the Canary Islands. From there he will take his rhen over lower Algeria. That ts the place for Heilner to strike. There will be no one but a few Arabs to see Barnes’ men wiped out. If they are shot down and live they will never get back to civilization. They will be fortunate if they are not horribly tor- tured. “We had better get cables off to Heil- ner immediately,’ Boettner said. “After,” Zimmerman said, rubbing his hands across his tat stomach, “I have another bottle of beer.” FRITZ HEILNER. veteran milot:of the Imperial German Air Force, read the decoded cablegram he held in his hand and chuckled evilly. So, he thought, that over-exploited Yankee, Bill Barnes, is going to mix in other people’s business again. oO CON) Ghook CO