Flying the Coast Skyways; Or, Jack Ralston's Swift Patrol

r-line to

be taking his eyes away from his course ahead, lest he make a slip that would upset all their calculations-had seen the printer's ink man heading in leaps toward their plane-yes, and sure

self he must have been thinking, if not saying, "that's the time we jest made a slick get-away by the skin o' aour teet

estion for the one holding the stick to twist his head around so as to see what their tormentor was doing; but then he

, when the ship had reached a comfortable ceiling of say half a thousan

t a black bear in them canebrakes o' ole Louisiana, we gotter be headin' thataways at the start. Hoopla! aint i

their exhaust could no longer be heard at Candler Field-they would change to another quarter, swing around the distant city, pick up the light

ols, and Perk was able to take hold of other special

at, when connected with their ears allowed of such exchange of views as they saw fit to indulge in; a

one Mountain would be reached with the first beacon flashing

rtner?" Perk demanded; and as Jack knew only too well he would have no peace until

that sent him whooping things up, and burning the minutes until he got there at Candler Field. Unfortunately-for Jimm

sit on aour tail, do yeou, ole hoss?" demanded Perk, who had even looked

at's the last we'll see of our friend Jimmy. Just the same, leave it to him to concoct a thrilling yarn to feed to hi

e while we hang aout araound Charleston I'm meanin' to look up

re on our larboard quarter; look sharp, and you'll glimpse a

be the softest sailin' ever, with aour co

r stick to the beacons until dawn; after that we can depend on ou

his cipher letter o' instructions-slow an' sure, that's agoin' to be aour motto this campaign," and Jack mus

ny as three at the same time-the one they were passing over; that left be

l be increased when passing over such outspurs of the Allegheny or Smoky

clear, of course visibility was prime, which fact added to Perk's h

easy to chat with an accommodating companion; and hence prese

r friend was, the pilot I seen yeou talkin' with

s, he was an old friend of mine, and I expect you've heard me speak of him more than a few times-one of the most adept pilots connected with the Curtiss

ith him!" exclaimed Perk, showing a tr

nly the conditions wouldn't admit it

talkin' with yeou, wouldn't your friend Doug be apt to give us away,

e him th

viator, Rodman Warrington by name, headed toward some shooting-grounds for a whack at big game. He's a lad you could never catch asleep at the switch; and make up your mind ou

her pilot-I reckon I seen him adoin' that same,

p about our meaning to try the shooting in those wonderful canebrakes in Louisiana. And that's

continued Perk, who, once he started on an investigating tour, never wo

me he was connected with the U. S. Air Reserve Corps oper

red up something

led more or less by what he had just heard. "I've been gettin' wind o' that

nd what I've read concerning the game, the organization is growing stronger every day-made up of men especially fitted to step in and man fighting planes, should any occasion arise, such as another foreign w

ortled, in glee. "I done gue-reckons, suh, as haow they may ha

p up with modern military and aviation activities; and they get their new up-to-date flying experience by taking off in one of five army training ships kept ready in the new reserve hangar at Candler Field-these are an Oil Curtiss Falcon regular attack plane;

n, 'jest 'cause we-uns gotter to hid aour light under a bushel, while serving aour Uncle Sam in his ole Secret Service. Dye know I got half a mind to throw it all up, an' go b