Riddle of the Storm / A Mystery Story for Boys

In that wilderness foxes barked and gaunt wolves howled. An Arctic gale sent snow rattling against his window. And yet he slept

im circling above the shore of

t Resolution. Far as Speed got, I'm sure, with all his flying in t

to be given to the company that made the best flying record this season. At present Curlie's own company, Midwestern Airways, w

a grand prize," he told h

te for a disabled pilot of more mature years, he had exceeded them all in miles flown and service rendered in this wi

ding over the snow. With consummate skill he brought the great bird to rest

ablished during the season of open water

is? In a sheltered spot he came upon a footprint in the snow. Consternation seized him. Had s

ing this way," he

ick at each hollow-sounding drum

was an honorable man! The Gray Streak,

the next port. And some unfortunate one may be waiting at this moment fo

pilots of the Gray Streak, did know what it meant. They

welcome the day! The airways of the North must be kept

r a vast wilderness into many perils, he slid down the bank to climb

ing once more. Less than a gallon of gas remained in his tank

exclaimed almost savagely. "And all because some one cares nothing for the welfare

n fresh perils threatened. There came a

r a stout yew bow and a quiver of arrows that always hung beside his cabin doo

ere came to his ears the sou

"But there is no fire. Like a thousand range c

that grew by the shore bounded a brown ma

, a hundred of these ponderous creatures landed upon the ice, then came plungin

lf. "What am I to do? The plane will be wrecked. It will

ad of an old prairie-buffalo

d himself. "But buffaloes must be t

plane, the foremost buffalo scarcely more than that from him, when with heart pounding painfully against his ribs, but with fingers that perfectly obeye

when in danger of being trampled to death by a thousand stampeding buffaloes, had saved his life. He was now prep

ature, he stood quite still until the foremost buffalo, a powerful beast with glea

t rose before them was obscuring his vision. Still there was time for retreat to the plane. Once in the ca

round, with incredible rapidity he

alo was upon his cheek when with a c

The herd was upon him. Through the cloud of snow he saw it but dimly. The sound of clashing horns and cracking hoofs was

, two, three, four, five." Would it work? "Six, seven, eight, nine, ten." Would he be trample

he buffaloes were passing in two columns, one to the right, the other to the left of their fall

nk God!" h

vided, they would pass to right and left of it. They would divide for a fa

fore what a joyous thing it was just to live, what a priceless possession the grea

ding away. The last member of the h

s settling. At his feet lay a dark mass, the dead buffalo. A

were not in every sense of the word wild buffaloes. They ranged a wide preserve. They were watched over by buffalo range

ured himself, "was

f hoofs once more. A lone buffalo was passing. A youngster, half-grown an

o the snow and went rolling over and over. A second followed the first. He, too, had felt the sting of th

all that is good, beautiful and useful among living things. I did what I could for that poor, limping you

red times, to human kind than does a buffalo. It has saved human lives, by transpo

hts and feelings regarding his immediate

," he told himself. "It's a march

ate to leave the old plane. Whew! How good the old fe

at night. But I'd fix '

told him that all was well. "A f

n the night. Plenty of time anyway. No one would start back with

awn over his knees when a curious sound reached

re close to the Arctic Circle. What

iding over the ice. The

reds of miles beyond the end of steel! Who would believe it?" He was fo

here!" came in a cheery voice. "What you campin

you, Curli

dismounted and ap

" came from the boy. "I'

nted at the tractor. "Wh

ing an Indian family to their new home seven miles away. Cabin was twelve feet square. Just slid skids under i

me. What you

of

istled. "Thought you were O

our gas cache has bee

bbe

ory of the outlaw plan

to that! Dangerous people who would leave some poor avia

f there's

Want a tow

made, then at his great airplane. He laughed.

. Could give you my gas. Not

in your feather robe there in the cabin. I'll tow you in. Yo

anding up just

ve done a lot for us; brought the world to our door, that's w

small hours of the night. After sleeping straight through until mor

n of the second day found Curlie once

lory of the perfect day, sky filled with drifting clouds, air with a

task, the piloting of his plane, and that which

Great had been the other pilot's astonishment when

lane running wild in this wilderness. The pilot's living off

ed. "What are we go

for or

ure he was a person of action. "But suppose we com

e. My record, the record of my com

us, "much as I want to win that award for o

e such a menace from the air or brought t

ed landing gear, out of the running. See?" Curlie did see. And for the time being this

he carried in his plane that which was to prove of great value to

les sooner than Johnny had thought he might. He had sent those bits of rocks, that gave promise of producing

its mysterious rays of light it has cured thousands of that most dreaded of diseases, cancer. If we can but discover a cheaper supply, we will be benefactors of the whole race. T

to hear those words now and to feel the gen

"I must not fail him. The pay is sma

ctly before him. Out of that cloud had come a plane. The air was

is side. (He had taken Jerry on at Resol

rry straightened

ure reward, the good of his company, his own personal glory seemed to lie upon

itchblende, the rad

, hundreds, perhaps thousands we have never seen, may never see, drives from our minds that which

mewhere in the past it had been stowed away in the recesse

fter them! Follow them to the end. Find

is face about to display a b