Linda Carlton's Hollywood Flight

ring at the wall of the hotel bedroom. The worst had happened

Dot, realizing that her chu

Linda explained

at all about doing it. Just walked into the airport at night and deman

ss. There was not a single word of comfort

0

hree o’clock, and she must have pulled out at dark last night. She’s probab

the wrong person, anywa

pecimen that came for me this morning. And in a case like this, they

Chase, for

es

ou going to

ch with all the airports possible, so that any autogiros can

wh

en Ralph, with his autogiro! But do you realize, Dot, that I’m bankrupt? I can’t bu

body would only lend you one,”

0

, Dot, this is the twenty-ninth of September! We’ve wasted a whole week, ju

ou’ll lose your chance at that teaching position, u

headquarters, and then I’ll wait around until Mr. Eckert wakes up

and Chief Brenan in the lobby of the hotel that evening at seven o’clock. Nat

ced immediately. “But not by the law this t

0

e isn’t anything she won’t steal!” He smiled grim

he girl. “But th

you heard the news. If you had done that, y

n—?” gas

rse. Take it and wel

er out her thanks. But she was too much

Louis in time for the opening

Eckert. “Now come in and eat some dinner

ew, fast biplane, which she had admired so much that morning. It had a cruising speed

0

I suppose?” asked Mr. Eckert, as the

airports, which are to keep a watch out for all autogiros that pass overhead or land for

u go along,

I’m just as anxious to reco

n dangerous

nd to be

ed, had been spotted, but only two of them had been stopped. Neither of these was the Ladybug. The third, it seemed, had been seen earl

0

d straight for the city of Yuma, in the extreme southwest of Arizona, stoppi

the hotel, and packed all the supplies for the trip. Water in gallon jugs and thermos bottles, canned food, blankets in case

the necessary papers for the release of his plane, the Sky Rocket. It was a beautiful new biplane, of the latest model.

struments. Everything for convenience and comfort seemed to be provided. Altimeter, clocks, compass, parachutes—e

0

aimed, as she seated herself at the con

r a trial flight, Miss Carlton?”

he never needs any instruction. But,” he added, coming closer to Linda, “don’t

a sm

had my own lice

Mr. Eckert. “The police aren’t going to m

ope not!” e

0

skies. The usual fog common to the early morning climate of California had lifted, and the sun shone brightly as Linda directed her course towards the mountains. She let out the throttle to its maximum as soon

San Jacinto Mountains, over the city of Imperial—on towards Yuma. The flight was nearly four hundred miles, bu

dio of the stolen autogiro, and the attendant who came out to

1

but the couple wouldn’t wait long enough to have it done right. That must have been about three o’clock in

ke? Were they a man and a gi

ried couple,

ir hone

that. They did

a sm

you their names

Carlton?” put in Dot, before the

alike. But her face was pretty dirty, and her helmet was pulled down

appointment. “We’re lookin

s, Linda,” Dot reminded her. “Why, that girl thin

admitt

1

a secret-service flier here this morning already. A

been Mr. Chase?

d the border, hot on their trail. Shouldn’t be surpr

y inspection, the girls flew away again, heading south now, a

again. From their height in the air they could not see the ground without glasses, but as Linda dipped lower, they could distinguish how barren and desolate i

1

ry. But then, planes were more like automobiles now; the accidents were oftener due to the pilots themselves than to faulty motors.... B

as the hours passed without any success.

could come down amongst those bushes and camp for the night, a

t want to

t go on forever without gas. They’ll have to stop at airports

have been informed,” observed Linda. “If they

1

ivated and barren. The sun sank and twilight came on—and sti

stinguish the ground even with the aid of glasses. “I’ll have to fly lower

the opposite direction, cautiously g

ing out tonight, D

ad read enough about Mexican ban

o,” she said. “Anyway,

d forbidding, inhabited, they felt sure, by all sorts of wild animals. These must be avoided at any cost; so Linda went back to the spo

1

a glide, she went into a side-slip until she lost altitude, then, as she approached the landing-mark, she gradually reduced

nda!” cried Do

a gr

bug. It’s a satisfaction to know I can still land an ordinary plane. I g

y too.... Where shal

ee bare ground everywhere; only a few clumps of dry bushes in the distance.

1

a fire. I don’t believe we could find any wood. No; let’s just open a can or

re too weary to talk. Then, crawling into their blankets, although

h might be the cause of the noise. But the sound, now more loud than before, was not that of an animal. It grew nearer, almost deafening—over her head. An airplane, of course! Now fully awake, she looked up into the skie

1

ng peacefully. That wasn’t surprising; it had always been hard

erself from her blanket, and edging u

Linda’s hands with one of his, he clapped a wet rag over her face with the other. She had just time enough to identify her attacker as

had been ch

ype="