The Flying Reporter

by Herbert Strang

  CHAPTER III

  Jimmy Meets an Old Friend--Johnnie Lee, of the Wireless Patrol

  For many miles--ever since he crossed the Delaware into Pennsylvania, infact, Jimmy had been flying over a region so rough and rugged that itstrikes terror to the heart of the aviator. For here Nature has plowedup the land in rugged furrows that rise thousands of feet. In places theearth is jumbled in confused masses. Rocks, trees, precipices, bogs, anddeep ravines characterize the whole countryside. Rare, indeed, is thelevel spot that is large enough, or smooth enough, or firm enough topermit a safe landing. And well Jimmy knew what awaited him or any otheraviator who was luckless enough to be forced down in this terribleregion. And yet this country was tame beside that of the "graveyard ofairplanes" in the western half of the state. It was here, when he wasfairly in the heart of these terrible mountains, that Warren Long hadfound his plane afire. As Jimmy looked down now at the torn and jaggedface of the country, he fairly shivered when he thought of the terriblesituation in which his friend had been placed such a short timepreviously. For it was obviously impossible to land a plane safely inthese ragged hills, especially in the dark; and to Jimmy it seemedalmost as dangerous to trust to a parachute. For there was no way bywhich the falling flier could tell when he was about to land with acrash on a rock, or a jagged stump, or in the splintering arms of apine-tree--no way, it came to Jimmy as an afterthought, unless hecarried a flash-light powerful enough to pierce the blackness of thenight. And Jimmy felt again that same feeling of gratitude to Uncle Samthat he had felt many a time previously for the little emergency landingfields along the lighted airway that the Government has spied out andmarked off with encircling lights at night, where aviators in distresscan land in safety.

  It was one of these emergency fields--that at Ringtown--which WarrenLong had been striving to reach on the preceding night. And it was thissame field that Jimmy was now heading for.

  Jimmy had been flying rather high. Gently pulling back the throttle, hewent into a steep spiral. At about eight hundred feet he straightened upwhile he glanced at the wind-sock. "Bang" went the gun again, and Jimmyflew around the edge of the field into the wind. The field was none toolarge. Tall trees on the lee side of it called for plenty of energeticside-slipping and fish-tailing. Jimmy straightened her out, held her offto lose flying speed, and as soon as he felt the wheels touch hauledback on the stick and stepped on his brakes. Jimmy breathed a sigh ofrelief and thanked his lucky stars for those brakes, for the ship cameto rest within twenty-five feet of a stone fence. In another moment hewas taxiing safely across the field toward the beacon light tower, wherea knot of men and boys had gathered, waiting for Jimmy's ship to come torest.

  Jimmy throttled down his engine to let it idle for a few minutes so thevalves could cool before he "cut his switch." He stepped to the ground.The little company of spectators surged toward him.

  "Can any one of you tell me----" began Jimmy. Then he stopped short andgazed at one of the group in silent astonishment. "Well, where in theworld did you come from, Johnnie Lee?" he demanded, after a moment. Andhe stepped quickly toward a sturdy lad who stood somewhat behind theother spectators. "I haven't seen you for ages--not since I left home tolearn to fly, in fact."

  "Jimmy!" cried the lad, rushing forward with outstretched hand. "Ididn't know you at first, with your helmet on. I'm awfully glad to seeyou." And he fairly wrung Jimmy's hand.

  "What are you doing here?" demanded Jimmy, when they had finishedshaking hands.

  "I might ask you the same question," laughed Johnnie. "I am here becauseI can't very well help it. My father's health broke down, and the doctorsaid he would have to get into the country. We have relatives close bynamed Healy. So Dad bought a little farm here. I've been at home, doingmost of the farming. You are the first member of the old Wireless PatrolI have seen since we moved down here. My! It's been tough to beseparated from all the gang. I think of the old days often, and of thefine times we used to have when we were in camp at Fort Brady."

  "They were good old days, weren't they, Johnnie?" said Jimmy. "How theold crowd has gotten separated. There's Alec Cunningham down in NewJersey in the oyster business, and Roy Mercer a wireless operator on anocean steamer, and Bob Martin in the Lighthouse Service, and HenryHarper in the Coast Guard. My, it doesn't seem possible that the oldcrowd could be scattered so. Can you tell me about any of the otherfellows of the Wireless Patrol?"

  "I can tell you a whole lot about Jimmy Donnelly," laughed Johnnie.

  "How's that?" demanded Jimmy. "What do you know about me and how did youfind it out?"

  "You don't think anybody could have all the adventures you have had,finding lost air mail pilots and rounding up robbers and not have peopleknow about it, do you? Why, I read about those things in the newspaper."

  "That reminds me," said Jimmy, "that I am here now for the _MorningPress_, to get more details about Warren Long's parachute jump lastnight. You can't tell me anything about it, can you?"

  "I certainly can," said Johnnie, "for I saw the whole thing happen, andthe pilot landed right on our farm and I helped him get back to hisburning ship to try to save some of the mail."

  "Well, if that isn't luck," said Jimmy. "Take me to the burned plane,will you, and tell me what you know about the affair."

  "All right. Come along," and Johnnie led the way toward a clearing onthe slope of a hill at some little distance.

  The way was rough, for they had to pass over some stony fields andthrough a patch of timber. They had ample time to talk as they walked.

  "How did you happen to see Warren Long's burning plane?" asked Jimmy.

  "I was looking for it."

  "Looking for it! What do you mean?"

  "Just what I say. I was looking for it, though I had no idea it wasgoing to be afire. You see, ever since you got into the Air Mail, Jimmy,I have been interested in the mail planes. I have always hoped that oneof them would land here. And as long as you were a mail pilot I guess Iwas always hoping that you would be piloting the ship that stopped here.Well, I got so much interested in the mail planes that I kept right onwatching for them, even after you left the service. You know the firstnight mail plane always comes over here just about bedtime, and I almostalways step out-of-doors and watch it sail over."

  "I know how you feel," said Jimmy.

  "Well," continued Johnnie, "when I heard the mail plane coming lastnight I stepped outside as usual, and there was the plane. But somethingwas wrong. It was afire. You could see the flames plainly. It flew in acrazy fashion----"

  "That must have been while Warren Long was fighting the flames,"interrupted Jimmy.

  "And it went sailing by pretty fast. For a time the fire seemed to diedown, and I thought the pilot had it about out. Then it burst out worsethan ever. By this time the plane was a long way past here. But itturned and headed back. I knew right away that the pilot was trying toreach the field where you just landed. I called to Dad that a plane wason fire and was heading for the landing field, and that maybe we couldhelp save the ship if we got to the field in time. So we set outtogether for the field."

  "Do you live far from it?" inquired Jimmy.

  "About half a mile, I suppose, though our land runs clear down to thelanding field. Anyway, before we were half-way to the field we saw thatthe pilot would never make it. The whole airplane seemed to be aflame.It was fairly spouting fire from all sides. I knew the pilot would haveto jump, and I couldn't understand why he stayed with the ship half aslong as he did."

  "You would if you knew Warren Long," interrupted Jimmy. "That was justlike him. He risked his life to try to save the mail."

  "He risked it, all right," said Johnnie. "His plane was just a mass offlames. I don't see why he wasn't burned to death right in the cockpit.I just stood still and held my breath while I waited for him to jump."

  "Did you see him when he did jump?"

  "See him? Why, you could see everything. The whole sky was as light asday. Out he came in a t
remendous dive right through a sheet of flame. Inever breathed while I waited for him to open his parachute. Do you knowwhat happened? It was awful."

  "What was awful?" demanded Jimmy.

  "Why, that burning ship turned over on its side the instant the pilotleft it and dived straight after him. I thought sure the plane was goingto crash into him. It was frightful to watch. My heart simply stoppedbeating while that plane roared after him. And the pilot was as cool asan icicle. He just kept on falling and falling and never moved a muscle.As the plane shot by him I thought it had struck him, and I cried rightout. But somehow the plane missed him and shot down like a flamingmeteor. Gee! You should have seen what happened then. Your friend hadhis parachute open the instant the blazing ship had passed him."

  "How high was he?"

  "Not very high. Just a few hundred feet. But the wind caught hisparachute instantly and snapped it open with a jerk. I could see thepilot spin around like a weather-vane in a wind squall. You know he wasfalling head foremost all this time, and the parachute jerked himupright quicker than you could wink your eye. It must have given him anawful jolt."

  "What happened then?" demanded Jimmy.

  "Why, Dad and I separated. He ran toward the plane, to try to save themail, but I never gave a thought to the mail. I ran to help the pilot. Icouldn't help thinking that after all it might be you, Jimmy. You know afellow can never be sure just who's in a plane."

  "That was mighty kind of you, Johnnie. But I wasn't in the plane, andthat lets me out of the story. What did you do when you reached thepilot?"

  "I got to him soon after he hit the ground. He was all tangled up in hisparachute, for he had come down in some scrub growth and the cords weretwisted among the stems, and the parachute itself was fast in somebushes. He had landed pretty hard, too, and was half stunned. And hewrenched one of his ankles badly. Maybe it's sprained. Anyway, I helpedhim to get out of his harness, and I told him just to sit down and takeit easy while I gathered up the parachute. But he didn't want to wait aninstant. He said he had to get to the ship to try to save the mail. Sohe just snatched out his knife and cut a big piece out of the parachute,and then we hurried over to the burning ship as fast as he could walk.He never said a word, but I know his ankle must have hurt him terribly."

  "Did you save any of the mail?"

  "No. When we got there the fire was so hot you couldn't get anywherenear the ship. Dad and some other men had tried to pull some mail-sacksout of the plane, but it just wasn't possible. The fire was too hot. Iwasn't much interested in the mail or even in the plane. I couldn'tthink of anything but the pilot. He looked awful. When we got near theburning ship, where it was light enough to see him well, I noticed atonce that his eyebrows and lashes were burned off, his face was badlyscorched and his hands were burned almost raw. It's a wonder he wasn'tburned to a crisp."

  "His flying suit and his helmet and goggles saved him," said Jimmy."What I can't understand is why he didn't jump sooner. He must haveknown well enough that the ship was doomed."

  "He did. I asked him why he stayed in it so long, and he told me that hecouldn't leave the ship any sooner because it might have fallen on someof the homes beneath him. You see he was right over the town. So he justkept right on flying, with the flames all about him, until he was surehe was clear of the town. What do you think of that?"

  "I am not surprised. In fact, I should be surprised if he had doneanything else. It's exactly the sort of thing Warren Long would do."

  "It was the bravest thing I ever heard of," said Johnnie.

  "Could you do anything for him?" demanded Jimmy. "His burns must havebeen very painful."

  "Sure we did. I took him home with me and mother put some grease on hisface and bandaged his hands. But he didn't seem to think about anythingexcept the mail. That evidently worried him. The pilot soon caught atrain going east, and that is the last I saw of him."

  "Well, you certainly have given me a vivid account of the affair,Johnnie. You'd make a good reporter."

  "Gee! I'd like to be one. It's pretty dull out here in these mountains.Dad's got his health back now and doesn't really need me any longer.I've been looking for a job in town. If you know of any opening I wishyou'd tell me about it, Jimmy."

  "I'll do all I can to help you, Johnnie, though I don't believe I can domuch for you. You see, you have never had any experience as a reporter."

  By this time they had reached the burned airship. Several persons weregathered about it, for ever since daybreak people had been coming fromfar and near to take a look at it. Jimmy stood for some time viewing thesad wreck.

  "Thank God Warren escaped," he muttered.

  Then he slowly walked around the burned plane, trying to find the bestpoint of view from which to get a picture. He took several snaps, fromdifferent angles, and then asked Johnnie to guide him to a spot where hecould get the best picture of the region. Johnnie took him to a littleknoll that rose sharply at no great distance, and from thisvantage-point Jimmy secured an excellent picture of the countryside,with the wrecked plane in the very centre of the picture. Then he andJohnnie walked across the country to the spot where Warren Long hadlanded. The parachute was no longer there, as the remains of it had beengathered up by the crew sent from the Air Mail field to salvage whatcould be saved from the wreck. But Jimmy was able to see exactly whereWarren Long had struck the ground, and to get some good snaps of theplace.

  "I ought to see your father," said Jimmy, "and find out exactly whatoccurred in the effort to save the mail. Besides, I want to see himanyway. I haven't seen him since--I don't know when. And I want to seeyour mother, too."

  "We'll go over to the house," replied Johnnie.

  "Mother will be there, and Dad is at work somewhere about the place."

  They hurried over to the farmhouse, and found both of Johnnie's parentsright at hand. It was a pleasant meeting, for Jimmy had known the Leesall his life. He had little time for visiting, however. Most of thelittle visit he spent in asking Mr. Lee questions about the burningplane and the effort to save the mail. When he had all the details hecould gather, he said goodbye to Johnnie's parents. Then the two ladswalked back to the landing field.

  Jimmy started his engine and let it run a few minutes to get warm. Whenhe was ready to depart, he held out his hand to Johnnie. "I am ever soglad I found you," he said, "and I am more than grateful to you for whatyou folks did for Warren Long last night. You have helped me a lot,Johnnie. I won't forget about you when I get back to New York. If thereis anything I can do for you, I will certainly do it. Now I must be off.They want these pictures at the office just as soon as they can getthem. Good-bye." And Jimmy was off.