The Sky Trail
CHAPTER THREE
Tim could see lights gleaming from the windows of the tri-motor. It wasthe westbound transcontinental more than an hour late and its pilotswere bringing it in fast in an attempt to make up every minute possible.
The distance between the planes narrowed rapidly. The _Good News_ hadalmost lost flying speed, was drifting in, when Tim first sighted thetri-motor and he was powerless to change his course.
He jammed the throttle open and the motor coughed as the raw fuel leapedinto the white-hot cylinders. There was only one chance; that he couldget up enough speed to throw the _Good News_ into a nose dive. He couldavoid the tri-motor that way but his own chances of coming out of thedive would be slim.
In that split second Tim made his decision. He would attempt the dive.There were probably women and children on the tri-motor for the nightplane usually carried a heavy passenger list. If the two planes met theywould all be blown to eternity.
The _Good News_ picked up momentum again and Tim shoved the nose down.Just as he pushed the stick ahead he heard the engines of the tri-motorquicken their stride. Evidently the pilots of the big ship had seen himand were making a desperate effort to avert the collision. Tim hopedthey would have enough sense to climb.
The _Good News_ quivered under the sudden strain of the maneuver and Timsaw the ground race up to meet him.
The undercarriage of the tri-motor almost brushed the upper wing of the_Good News_. Then the planes were clear but the _Good News_ was divingtoward the field.
Tim had only one hope. He pulled back on the stick and closed his eyes.He could feel the ship falling, then the pitch of the descent lessened.He opened his eyes. The _Good News_ was skimming along the field withits wheels less than five feet from the ground.
Tim looked up for the tri-motor. It was circling, waiting for him toland.
The flying reporter lifted the _Good News_ up again for he was going toofast to attempt a landing. He swung around and then dropped down on thefield, checking his speed with a delicate hand lest he bump hard enoughto set off the "eggs" cradled in the forward cockpit.
The _Good News_ rolled to a stop in front of its hangar.
Carson, Hunter, Ralph and a group of mechanics were waiting for Tim.They were white and shaky for they had seen how death had ridden on thewings of the two incoming planes only a minute before. "Tim, Tim," criedRalph in a choked voice, "I thought you were a goner."
"So did I," admitted Tim, and for once he found it hard to smile.
"I'll report those flying yahoos," stormed the usually mild-manneredHunter. "They'll be grounded for thirty days for pulling a recklesslanding like that. You had the right of way and they attempted to cut inon you. Here they come now."
The tri-motor had come to a stop on the concrete apron in front of theadministration building and its pilots sprinted toward the No. 5 hangar.
They were red-faced and shaking with anger.
"What's the idea?" stormed the first one as he addressed Tim. "Youcrazy, flying fool, you almost wrecked us. I've a good notion to beat upon you."
"Shut up!" The words whipped through the night and the angry pilotturned to face the field manager.
"But this nut almost wrecked us," he protested as he pointed at Tim.
"Shut up!" cried Hunter and he almost choked with rage, "if anybody hereis going to get a licking you're one of them. You cut in on Murphy. Wehad given him the right-of-way and you barged down and almost ran himinto the ground. As it happens he was on special duty tonight, flying inhere from Fort Armstrong. You may have something to explain to Uncle Samand the least you'll hear about this will be thirty days on the groundwithout pay."
"You can't get away with that," protested the second flyer. "Why thiskid was trying to beat us in."
"I'll get away with it and I may have your skins to boot," promisedCarson. "You're so all-fired smart, suppose you step over here and takea look at the load Murphy is carrying tonight."
The pilots of the big transport followed Hunter to the _Good News_ wherethey peered into the forward cockpit.
"Bombs!" exclaimed one.
"We'd have been blown to pieces if we had met in the air," gasped theother.
"Which is just exactly the reason Murphy took such a desperate chance toavoid hitting you," exclaimed Hunter. "Do you still want to beat up onhim?"
"Not on your life," said the transport pilots and they turned to Tim tooffer their apologies.
"We are lucky to be here," said Tim as the tri-motor men stammered theirappreciation.
Ralph, who had gained control of his emotions, busied himself loading adozen parachute flares into the forward cockpit.
By 11:15 the _Good News_ had been refueled for the flight to Auburn.
"What are the latest reports?" asked Tim.
"The ice is piling up every hour," said the managing editor. "People inthe village have started to move their belongings and they expect thetown will be swept away before morning."
"Have they been warned to watch for us and get in the clear when westart dropping the bombs?"
"Everyone has been ordered to be in the clear by midnight. Before theyleave they will build large fires along the bank of the river to guideyou."
"That's a good idea," said Tim.
"All set," he called to Ralph, who had taken his place in the forwardcockpit, squeezed in between high explosive bombs and parachute flares.
"All ready," replied Ralph. "Only take it easy. I don't want to be partof another explosion today."
"Don't worry," said Tim. "I'll handle the ship like we were carrying abasket of Easter eggs."
Tim settled himself for the flight to Auburn and a minute later the_Good News_ was winging its way into the east.
The safety of the village depended on the success of their efforts.Within the next hour and Tim and Ralph realized the seriousness of theirmission.
They sped into the night at a chilling pace and both reporters welcomedthe signal fires which marked the course of the river. It was justbefore midnight when they swung down out of the sky to reconnoiter theice jam.
Ralph dropped a parachute flare which lighted the country-side for halfa mile around.
There was no one in the vicinity of the jam and the village had beendeserted.
Tim inspected the face of the jam closely, hunting for the key pointwhere the pressure was greatest. Up and down the river they cruisedwhile Ralph lighted three more flares.
Finally Tim was satisfied that he had picked out the vulnerable spots inthe jam and he motioned for Ralph to get ready with the bombs.
By pre-arranged signal Ralph was to drop a bomb over board every timeTim raised his left arm. Several of the flares had dropped on the iceand there was plenty of light.
Tim's arm jerked upward and a small, black object hurtled down from theplane.
The night was torn by a blinding flash followed by an ear-shatteringroar. A geyser of ice and water mounted upward from the point where thebomb had struck.
"Score one," cried Ralph as he prepared another bomb.
Tim nodded grimly. The explosion had been spectacular but he wonderedhow much it had weakened the jam.
Ralph dropped two more parachute flares and before their light had fadedthey had time to plant four bombs. More flares and more bombs. Theyhoneycombed the face of the jam with the high-explosive missiles andabove the sound of their own plane they could hear the angry grumble ofthe river as the restless water, impounded by the ice barrier, sought tocontinue its journey down stream.
They had one flare and two bombs left and they had failed to break thejam.
Tim motioned for Ralph to light one of the two remaining flares and inthe calcium glare he made a final survey of the river. His arm movedquickly and Ralph tossed out the last of the bombs.
They watched the little black objects speed toward the ice; then sawthem swallowed in mounting sprays of ice and water.
Tim could hear Ralph's shout of victory above the sound of their ow
nmotor and the rumble of the river as the waters, the ice barrier finallybroken, started down stream.
The river was a heaving, moving mass of ice. Great cakes leaped highinto the air and came down with thundering crashes as the pressure ofthe water was unleashed.
Tim watched the breaking of the jam with apprehension. There was just achance that the river might rush over its banks and sweep away thevillage but if he had calculated right the force of the onrushing waterwould be expended on the far side of the valley.
The light from the fires on the edge of the river reflected dully on thescene and was not sufficient to show them what was taking place. Afterfive minutes of anxious cruising, Tim yelled to Ralph to light the lastof their flares.
The brilliant white light revealed a scene majestic in its power yetterrible in its uncontrolled fury.
Thousands of tons of ice were moving down stream, sweeping everythingbefore them but they were moving in the direction Tim had planned. Theice was piling over the banks of the river, leveling great trees,crushing the few barns and small buildings on the far side of the river,but the village itself was safe and already the villagers were startingto return to their homes.
A dozen men who had come down to the river bank to watch the ice go outwaved their thanks at the flying reporters.
With his goal reached and success at hand, Tim felt a great drowzinesscreep over him. His hand lost its firm grip on the stick and his eyesclosed in spite of himself. He managed to shake off the fatigue andshouted to Ralph to take the plane.
Ralph fitted the extra stick in the control socket in the forwardcockpit and waggled the controls, indicating that he was ready.
The _Good News_ turned away from Auburn, away from the tumbling mass ofice in the Cedar River, and sped toward home. Tim, exhausted by thestrenuous experiences of the day, dropped into a deep slumber and didnot awaken until Ralph plopped into a mud puddle on their home field.