Ruthe S. Wheeler

“ The girls and Jackie were ordered to the larger of the two cabins.
“You take care of the boy. It’ll be just too bad if anything happens to him,” said Bardo darkly. They had been joined by a third man, evidently the pilot of the seaplane. Like the gunmen who had captured the transport, he was dark and swarthy.
Jackie was a delightful youngster and Jane and Sue admired his calm courage. ”

“ Slim Bollei staggered back into the cabin, a deep gash over his right eye.
“Get the serum out of here. The gas tanks have given way and the fuel may explode any second.”
Jane clutched the package of precious serum and threw open the cabin door. Miss Comstock came after her, tugging the hamper loaded with medical supplies while Slim carried the hamper of food. The snow was eighteen inches deep, and they floundered through it, gasping for breath. They stopped a hundred yards away from the big plane and Slim eyed it ruefully. ”

“ Miss Comstock nodded and hurried away while Jane guided her elderly passenger toward the stewardess’ quarters. There, well away from the rush and confusion of the hangar, she made her comfortable while she put a pot of tea on the electric grill in the commissary. Within five minutes Jane had tea and wafers ready on a silver tray. She talked gaily about everything except flying and Mrs. Van Verity Vanness began to show a new interest in living. The tea was delicious and the wafers were appetizing. The wealthy passenger of the special drank two cups of tea and ate five of the wafers. ”

“ Back and forth they roared through the sky, twisting and turning, until it became a real game. Then the roar of another motor came to Jane’s ears and she looked back to see Charlie dropping down on her. That was her cue to stop chasing the tri-motor and attempt to save herself.
She dropped her own plane into a quick, twisting dive, that caught Charlie unawares and he missed her the first time, but he came fighting back, his own machine gun spouting blanks. For twenty minutes they twisted and turned, first Charlie gaining the advantage and then Jane. ”

“ Jane hurried into the stewardess quarters where she kept her flying clothes in a locker. Miss Comstock came in while she was changing.
“What’s this I hear about you piloting one of 186the planes for the movie people?” she asked.
“I’m going to be a bold, bad bandit,” smiled Jane. “They’re short a flyer and can’t wait for another man to come up from Denver.”
“But don’t you think it’s rather dangerous? I don’t want to lose my star stewardess.”
“Nothing will happen,” promised Jane. “I’ll be flying Charlie’s ship and I could do that blindfolded.” ”

“ She was hungry, but the tri-motor she had come in on had been trundled away to a distant hangar and there was little chance that she could find it and rummage through the pantry for anything to eat.
Jane skimmed through the magazines in the waiting room and selected one on aviation. She had hardly settled herself when a young woman burst into the room.
“Where’s Jane Cameron?” demanded the newcomer.
“I’m Jane Cameron,” replied the stewardess.
“What a break! I’m Ruthe Harrigan, special writer for the New York Globe. Late as usual in getting my assignment. Afraid I had missed you. ”

“ The minutes crept on endlessly. They must be nearing the village if the pilot’s calculations were correct and the wind had not drifted them too far off their course.
Jane went to one of the windows and peered down. There was only the snow and the wind swirling it below them. Then they started down, feeling their way through the blizzard.
It was tricky work, a task that required the hand of a master pilot, for at any moment they might smash down out of the sky in a crash landing.
With nerves taut, the stewardesses watched the needle of the altimeter. The light flashed three times. ”

“ It was nearly an hour later when Charlie Fischer reappeared and instead of coming out of the personnel director’s office, he came up the stairs which led to the ramp. In his hand was a typed report.
“Think I’d forgotten all about you?”
“We had almost given up hope,” conceded Jane.
“I had quite an argument with Mr. Speidel about seeing you girls out of turn. He’s a stickler for detail and fair play and is afraid that if you are taken in ahead of the others they may feel he is playing favorites.” ”

“ Jane was a bit taller than Sue and her brown eyes matched the color of her hair. They had stuck by each other through all of the tribulations of nurses’ training; now, though both hesitated to mention it, each feared that graduation would terminate their close companionship.
Miss Hardy, the supervisor of nurses, broke away from another group and joined them.
“Drop in at my office before you go to the dorm for the night,” she said. Before she could explain what she wanted, an interne stepped into the room and called her away on an emergency case. ”

“ Slim Bollei, who had been looking out the window, shrugged his shoulders.
“You’re optimistic,” he grinned. “It’s snowing thicker and harder than at any time this winter.”
The weather had turned bitter cold with the wind lashing around the big hangar in a chilling overture.
When Jane started back to the city, she found that the field car which had brought her was stalled. She telephoned for a taxi, but was informed that no machine would be available for at least an hour, so she made herself comfortable in the waiting room which adjoined the office of the night operations chief. ”

“ In brown boots, white breeches, a soft white silk shirt open at the neck and the flaming scarf around her hair, Jane was a striking picture.
“Look out,” cautioned Miss Comstock, “or the film people will be offering you a contract.”
“No chance. You’ve got to be able to act.” Jane dabbed a bit of fresh powder on her cheeks and hurried out to greet Charlie Fischer. The tall pilot was wearing one chute pack and he carried another in his arms.
“Just about time to start,” he said. “The ships are over on the ramp warming up.”
Jane looked at Charlie’s plane. ”

“ Mellotti remained in the cabin, guarding the passengers. Up ahead Bardo forced Charlie Fischer to swing the plane off the transcontinental airway. They were flying north. That was all Jane knew.
The hours slipped away with aching slowness. Jackie Condon and his mother remained calm and the traveling men started a card game. When the sky finally lightened, they were over a great, flat expanse of country with a chain of mountains barely visible in the west. Jane guessed they must be somewhere in Canada, just east of the Rockies. ”

“ It was this ship that Charlie was to handle.
Director James was waiting between the planes. He eyed Jane approvingly as she approached for she looked cool and business-like.
“You’re to fly as though attacking the No. 1 transport,” he told Jane. “Keep away from the second ship with the camera crew. Make it look good. We’ve got a machine gun mounted on your plane and when you dash in, pull the trigger and send bursts of blanks at the transport.” ”

“ The smell of gasoline was doubly strong and Jane realized their grave danger, but she never wavered in following the chief stewardess.
They found the chief pilot jammed behind the control wheel.
“You take his shoulders while I try to free his feet,” ordered Miss Comstock. Working swiftly, they managed to lift the pilot clear and Jane was thankful that he was slight in stature. It would have been impossible for them to carry a heavy man. ”

“ The flyer led the way into the modernistic restaurant which adjoined the waiting room and they sat down at gleaming black and silver tables.
“The sky’s the limit,” advised their new friend and Jane and Sue added bacon to their usual breakfast of toast and fruit.
“Do you know very much about the plans for using stewardesses?” asked Jane.
“Only the talk that’s heard along the system. With passenger traffic getting heavier all of the time, some step must be taken to have a member of the crew in the cabin where the needs of the passengers can be looked after. ”

“ Miss Comstock told Jane. “There’s plenty of salad and hot coffee, fresh fruit, and I put in an extra thermos bottle of bouillon. I imagine your passenger is nervous and scared as much as anything. Make her comfortable and talk to her. Remember that the reputation of the stewardess service may depend on your work tonight.”
Almost before the tri-motor had stopped rolling the ground crew, enlarged to speed the refueling of the special, was swarming over the plane. Only five minutes had been allowed for the Cheyenne stop and it meant fast work on the part of every man. ”

“ Sue insisted as the girls rushed to help Jane.
“There’s a special plane from the west coast going through to New York with Mrs. Van Verity Vanness, who is worth a billion or so, aboard. It’s on a fast schedule for she is rushing to New York to the bedside of a son who is seriously ill. Salt Lake radioed that Mrs. Van Verity Vanness was anything but comfortable and the general manager has ordered a stewardess aboard to see what can be done to make her happier the rest of the way to Chicago.” ”

“ Like Jane, Sue was finding out that pilots who on the ground were the pleasantest and most friendly flyers, were more than likely to be martinets when they were at the controls of a big passenger plane. ”

“ Jane resolved right then and there to keep all of the papers away from Mrs. Van Verity Vanness. If aerial bandits were operating, it was entirely within the realm of possibility for them to attack a special chartered by a woman as wealthy as her companion.
The tri-motor hurled through the night, the speed increasing as Charlie Fischer pushed it up another thousand feet to benefit by an even stronger tail wind at that altitude. They roared along at between 165 and 170 miles an hour, nearly 50 miles above the usual cruising speed of a plane of that type. ”

“ Van Verity Vanness was well past middle age.
“I can’t walk. Don’t make me,” she begged.
“We’ll only take a few steps,” said Jane, her own strong arms supporting the older woman. “Breath deeply and enjoy the air. Don’t think about flying.”
“But I’ve got to get to New York.” There was a sob in the older woman’s voice, and she 110shuddered as she looked at the hulking tri-motor. Even a thought of returning to the plane struck terror into her heart.
Jane turned to Miss Comstock and whispered a suggestion. ”

“ Jane was scheduled east the next morning on the Coast to Coast. Just before the ship came in from Salt Lake City, she saw the famous film director in conference with the operations manager. With them was Charlie Fischer. After a time he ambled over to talk with Jane.
“Going to be great doings here,” grinned Charlie. “I’m in the movies already.”
“What are you going to do?”
“They’ve got to have some stunt flying and they can’t afford to have the leading man risk his neck. I’m elected to pilot the ship. Means a lot of fun and quite a few extra shekels.” ”

“ Jane assured her, “and I’m especially delighted that your first trip is with me. Slim Bollei, one of 231the most skilled pilots on the line, is at the controls today. That means you’ll have a smooth, comfortable trip. Once in a while a cross wind gives the passengers a little trouble, but travel is unusually comfortable today.”
“You’ve certainly attracted national attention,” said Miss Hardy. “I’ve read of your exploits on several occasions, once when the bandit plane tried to abduct that wealthy New York woman and again when you flew to some small town with a supply of much needed serum.” ”

“ It seemed to Jane as though the engines were droning along at a higher pitch and a glance at the air-speed indicator revealed 40that they were traveling 135 miles an hour.
They passed over Aurora and Jane knew they would soon be in Chicago. The co-pilot came back.
“How’s he getting along?” he asked Jane.
“He’s much more comfortable. Did you get a message through?”
“An ambulance is waiting at the field right now. Gosh, but I’m glad you girls were along. You ought to apply for jobs with the company. They’re going to put on a bunch of girls as stewardesses.” ”

“ Jane decided it was time to say a word.
“If I fly Charlie’s plane, I know I can handle the assignment,” she said eagerly. “With Charlie in the other ship there’ll be little chance of anything going wrong. I’d like to have the opportunity to try it.”
The director looked at his watch.
“We start shooting in half an hour,” he decided. “We’ll take a chance.”
“Come on, Jane. We’ve got to work fast,” said Charlie, seizing her arm and almost pulling her after him. “Get into boots and breeches. You’re going to wear a chute. If anything should happen you’ll be ready for it.” ”

“ Jane’s face flushed, and it was a struggle to keep from showing her intense anger, but she finally managed to reply “no,” in a calm voice.
“Do you know anyone who would do it as a grudge against you?”
“That question is hardly fair,” retorted 170Jane. “If I mention any names I might unjustly throw suspicion on someone who is not guilty.”
Through her mind, though, raced thoughts of Mattie and her promise of revenge. Mattie had been alone in the commissary long enough to dope the sandwiches or the salad, and she was capable of stooping to such a low trick. ”