Thomson Burtis

“ A like mental query regarding Spears was arousing fear in the mind of the “bird”—Cal Buchanan, as he called himself. For Cal Buchanan, being a coyote by nature instead of a wolf, had within the last few hours formulated a wolf’s plan to resuscitate his fallen fortunes, and when a coyote essays a wolf’s role he is likely to shy at a shadow.
As he lounged along the lively street, his small eyes roved constantly, seeing nothing but mental images. Girls and women whose clothes would not have been out of place on the leading thoroughfares of the largest cities ”

“ Sleepy nodded. The big twelve-cylinder Liberty increased its roar as the sergeant shoved the throttle wide open. The men, holding each wing and the tail, buckled to their work as the whirring propeller pulled the wheels against the blocks with seemingly irresistible force.
Slowly the drum of the mighty cylinders tapered off as the mechanics drew back the throttle. Spears adjusted helmet and goggles, and then helped in the Sheriff, who looked like an old eagle. ”

“ The tachometer showed seventeen hundred revolutions a minute as with wide-open motor the ship drove toward the border at a hundred and twenty miles an hour. Ceaselessly two pairs of eyes searched the far-flung desert of mesquit below, striving to spot the figure of a horseman.
Spears figured that, provided Judith’s estimate of time was correct, Buchanan would have covered about forty miles. She thought that the crime had been committed about one o’clock. He was flying a few miles west of the railroad, in the belief that his prey would strike a straight course for the border. ”

“ He shook the stick in the back seat—the usual signal from cock-pit to cock-pit. Sleepy, who had been sitting as motionless as an image, did not immediately take cognizance of the signal. Not until the Sheriff had actually caused the ship to wabble with the force of his hand on the stick did the pilot turn his heavy-lidded eyes backward. Trowbridge unthinkingly threw out an arm to point. The combined force of the propeller blast and a hundred and twenty miles an hour of speed knocked it backward with painful suddenness; but Sleepy understood. ”

“ A low drone came to the ears of the group, and far in the distance they glimpsed the tiny form of a ship, diving with motor on for the airdrome. Hickman looked up at the plane.
“Probably Tex MacDowell and Sleepy Spears.”
“Who’s Spears?” asked Trowbridge.
“New man from the Air Service Mechanics’ School at Donovan Field,” explained Perkins. “He’s the sleepiest-looking guy in the world. Yesterday Tex and Sleepy announced they were going to fly to Laredo, if I’d let ’em, and go over to the ‘Bee’ hangout in Nuevo Laredo, and either win a fortune or else get entirely broke.” ”

“ Most people do not know that alongside a perfect landing most of the thrilling acrobatic flying they “oh” and “ah” is child’s play.
The big plane stopped rolling a hundred yards short of the end of the field, and Sleepy promptly turned off the gas pet-cock, to allow the motor to run itself out of gas. By this method damaging backfire in the expensive, fragile motor would be impossible. In a moment the Liberty sputtered and died, and the seven-foot propeller came to rest. ”

“ If the money was in a safe, he could force the old man to open it; then bind up him and his daughter, cut the telephone wires, perhaps leave a note on the front of the store saying that the owner would not be back until next day, to give him twelve hours’ respite. In that time, by hard riding on the excellent saddle-horse that Bilney had bought for his daughter, Buchanan could make the border. ”

“ Judy girl, get yoreself together and ride Buchanan’s horse to the nearest telephone. ’Phone the airdrome at McMullen, and tell ’em to send Doc Spurgin up here by ship to tend to yore daddy—I believe the doc can save him. Spears and I’ll take after this coyote, and mebbe we can find him.”
He looked at Spears, and for the first time noticed the change in him. Glowing eyes, body like a coiled spring—he gave an impression of leashed power waiting eagerly to be unbound. ”

“ One of Spears’s legs was caught under it, and an unnaturally bent arm told its own story. Trowbridge did not succeed in bringing him back to consciousness before he himself tumbled over in the blazing heat of the Texas sun. Above, three vultures hovered curiously.
At ten-thirty in the morning, when no word had come of the ship’s safe arrival at Willett, every plane at McMullen, except the two on patrol, was ordered out on the search. Jimmy Jennings found the wreck. From that time on, a ship was constantly hovering over the spot to guide the ground party. ”

“ Spear’s battered roadster shot down the road, its huge headlights probing the darkness. It swooped around the sharp corner with breath-taking speed, stopped with startling celerity, and died into silence. The flyer strolled toward the porch, peering briefly at the two occupants thereof.
“Hello,” he greeted them briefly, as he sank on the steps. “I want to inquire about the ringleader of that Barnes City tar-and-feather party I saw get off the train yesterday afternoon. Tall, hungry-looking guy with a long mustache.”
“Name o’ Buchanan?” asked Trowbridge interestedly. ”

“ I believe you can hit. It’ll be ticklish work, Sheriff. I may not be able to catch the ship again after the stall.”
“What do I care?” Trowbridge burst forth.
“I didn’t think you would. How can we make sure when we’ve found our man?” asked Spears.
“I’d know Judy’s pony anywhere,” declared the old man truculently.
Without another word, Sleepy went back to the cock-pit and snapped on the switches. ”

“ Prob’ly George told him all his secrets, too, on the way down. He never has learnt that there’s bad men runnin’ around the border. I’ve often thought of what a good chance fer a robbery George’s emporium was, ’way off by itself thataway. By Godfrey, to-day’s the first o’ the month, too. I believe I’ll mosey up to see George and Judy t’morrer.” The Sheriff turned to Captain Perkins. “Cap’n, how about one o’ the boys flyin’ me up to Willett t’morrer? I shore am anxious to git up that way.”
The commanding officer readily assented.
“Thanks, Cap’n,” returned Trowbridge. ”

“ The huge body actually left the ground under the power of the pilot’s pull. The Liberty caught, and Spears leaped for the cock-pit to advance the spark and throttle until there was no danger of the motor dying. ”

“ And rememberin’ the times when fellers like Sam Edwards, which is now fat and a mayor and washes his neck regular, was r’arin’ youngsters ridin’ down main streets drunk and shootin’, and rememberin’ what true-blue buddies and real hombres they was, makes me judge your boys in the same class.
“And listen, son: the old days in this country meant that a man had to have guts or go under. ”