The Ghost of Mystery Airport

tall grass while Don and Garry bent

l flashes in the North increas

n make it?"

responded ove

aled the torn, broken shape of the mail 'plane. If they could get there before the storm br

rter of a mile away, they saw

ort of path on the shore, along the water

n, "but it might be that we could get around to the mail c

ing wind drift them,

the mainland, a promontory jutting in a curving line into the grass-covered waters. If only that jut of land extended far enough they thought it possible to reach the sma

to progress into the bow. From the windward side Garry dug his

grass, but Don managed to get a leg over

to cling to the rope at the prow, lest his chum be drifted beyond the patch of solid grou

ry. Come on. Be careful to leave the oars in the bo

wil

ars, crawled forward and tumbled to a yielding

in the quickly following growls of thunder, wondering about the Dragonfly, about Scott, probably al

dity of footing before he went ahead; Garry, clutching his kit and steadying his

peal of angry thunder, revealed the upthrust wing of the

ral yards, as they parted the clumps

think?" Garry asked as he carefully put down the

nds braced on his knees. Lithely, with his gymnasium training to give him confidence, Garry put his weight on the elevated perch of Don'

sed between sky and water, its outflung hands seeking for a

him that Garry slipped. Peals of celestial cannon drowned a cry if there was any. With eyes still blinded by the fierceness of the las

!" he

e another blaze of

d against the junction of fuselage and flying

f his search quickly, it would be too late. Already the salty spume lashed his face, the fabric of the airplane quivered and shook to the beat of waves, and sunk in th

Don saw the distant glow of two red fla

hat mean the air signal, for an airplane t

d, was Chick hi

e muttered. "Oh

even more vivid stream of heav

e, as if urging

him, almost taking him off his feet. Instinc

sack!" h

g as the whole ship toppled forward, and the change of angle, freeing its tru

to the ground, the lightning showed

Don with the heavy s

pporting earth and then earth, craft and all tumbled and torn by the wind, slippe

ck!" gasped G

pilot?--"

sn't t

scant but sufficient, to leap clear in a back-pack 'chute and that it would be imposs

hey got clear of the most dangerous and slippery end of the

g grasses, Don followed Garry. Garry, his eyes straining, tried to de

st flecks of rain into their faces to add its cold warning to the sting of salt

leaping across the zenith, showed them two forms emerging from the door o

e locked together. One was lar

n, putting speed t

the larger figure broke free from the

g void. The earth beneath was cloaked in the pall. With blinded

see, in that masking bla

ler figure reeling backward, on t

forward might mean being preci

d for the

rturing moment. When next it flared up, two anxious hearts seemed to drop like le

y the narrow footw

e water moiled in th

y grass bent and seemed to w

here did

't know! I

ard while the

of the footway over the marsh. They stared toward th

sible. Neither w

pouch: Garry, his kit forgotten, deserted far behind them in the eel gras

he planks Garry searched, unable to s

from the upset table, the overturned lantern, the evidences of strife and of str

his steps to be met o

" cried Don. "Did you fi

red Don, "b

eet came along the path they had recently used, from the promontory. They turn

s and high boots, running in a staggering, uneven cour

lp!

, wavering, and cr

y ran to the man who

ring slightly, he gasped, "can yo

l 'plane pilo

there was scant tim

ds overhead. Its first fury was expended. From the North came t

rbulent area, he could get the pilot to some medical man; at the sam

cessful series of ship-to-shore mail flights, from vast ocean greyhounds, in swift airplanes. Its successful

ng Garry help him to li

ly, started, warmed up and aloft, carrying

rry aid

cut the air, climbing swiftly through the darkness that seemed br

North, the stor