Leland S. Jamieson

“ He’s losing blood, and I can’t help him much—and she’s willing to risk it. He wont die any quicker, I suppose, on that hand-car than he will lying in there. Let’s try to take him along—we might save him.”
“All right,” said Nick. “I’d like to speak to Miss Richardson a moment.” He called softly to her, and she came out to the platform. “My ship is stuck in the mud at McLearson,” he told her, “and I’ll need all the men you can get for me. I want you to hurry back to town and get all the men in town out to my ship. It’s in a field on the north side. ”

“ He flew entirely by his compass now; the lights of towns below had been blotted out when the flood waters destroyed power-lines. He wondered how long the girl could stay there, for he realized the fight she was putting up to cling to the strut.
The lights of Little Rock blinked up ahead of them at last, and Nick circled the field and landed by the beacon light. The plane rolled out of the beam, and Nick turned back to the hangar. He taxied to the “line” and without stopping his motor scrambled out along the wing to help Miss Richardson to the ground. ”

“ The water, as he proceeded, was deeper; the track was nowhere evident.
At Plateau, although the town was above the flood level, the flying-field was almost completely submerged. At one corner of the area, fluttering in damp dejection, the “wind sock” showed that the wind still blew from the northeast. Nick looked the place over and shook his head. He was doubtful about attempting a landing there; after several moments’ consideration he decided that the pasture at McLearson would prove better, so he turned back and raced downwind. ”

“ When he returned to the ship he found about thirty men and boys who had come to the field at the girl’s request. He cautioned them about the propeller, then climbed into the cockpit and started his motor, returning to the ground, while it warmed up, to instruct the men in aiding him to make the take-off.
“This field’s too muddy to get started rolling unless you help me,” he said to them. “First, I want six men to go to the end of the field”—he pointed out the ravine to them—“and wait there. ”

“ Since leaving McLearson, he had been wondering how the injured men could be brought ten or twelve miles in a boat in time for the plane to return to Little Rock before darkness set in. If the brakeman were in serious condition, it would prove difficult to transfer him without increased injury to his wounds. If the case were as urgent as seemed apparent, a landing at Plateau would take too long! ”

“ Some of the smaller towns near the Mississippi are completely submerged, and most of the people who lived in them are camped for the time being in emergency quarters on high ground—out of danger if the water doesn’t rise, or if disease doesn’t become too prevalent. ”

“ Conditions are frightful. We can’t hope to do very much in getting these people out of the flooded area entirely, but we can take food and medical supplies forward and drop them wherever they are needed. I’ll want all four of your planes in the air constantly; I’ll have mechanics at your disposal so you can save your energy for flying. What we want is action—speed; you’ve no idea of what the people down there are going through.”
“What about landing-fields?” Nick asked. ”

“ He telephoned his orders to the crew-chief of the plane, then turned back to Nick. “If you can’t get down at Plateau, find a landing-field as near McLearson as you can, then go back to the wreck and drop a note telling them where you’re going to land. You’ve got only three hours of daylight left, so you’ll have to hurry. I can’t send a mechanic with you because they’ve got more work than they can do—rush stuff. ”

“ The six men whom he had selected tramped off through the mud and rain, and Nick turned to the others. Under his instructions they picked up the tail of the Douglas and rolled the ship back until the tail-surfaces were almost against the fence; then, with the Patrol pilot telling each of them where to stand, they stationed themselves in two groups at the trailing edge of the lower wings, each man having a handhold on the wing. ”

“ Nick barked. “Doctor Matthies, I landed just as close to the wreck as I could get. This hand-car is the only way to get the men to my ship. If the brakeman can’t be moved, suppose you stay here with him and I’ll take the others to town. ”

“ Nick asked the latter, and without awaiting a reply added: “I landed my ship at McLearson. As soon as we get the men on board it I’ll have them to a hospital in Little Rock within forty-five minutes—or kill them trying to get off the ground.”
Doctor Matthies, a short, stumpy man, still very wet from his walk through the water from town, introduced himself.
“We’d kill the brakeman if we tried to take him to town on a hand-car through this water,” he said. “We thought of trying that, but he’s too weak to be moved with safety. He ought to be in a hospital—quickly ”