The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-03-06
DirQif1id Of tn: AirLdneS

She was growing calmer now. n
would surely slow down Of Itself.
she reasoned: and II Il did not
well, she had escaped from SLIDER.
berg, anyhow. It was . clean, un-
sullied place in which to meet the
end. She would rather hve-but--
already natures ether, which makes
death easy, was stealing into pos
session of her senses.
And then the northwind struck.
The puff smote her cheek, the hell
copter yielded to 1t and swept south
ward, like q feather before Q fan.
The Lagoon moved from under her,
pulling the Gulf after 1t. She was
Blowing out to sea. As the new
thought added itself to her concep-
ton OF the desperate situation, inc
sinking Of her heart told her that
until now she had never given Mp
hope. She reached out to stop the
engine: but as the vision passed
through her mind Of falling, falling
like the stick Of q rocket, being
dashed to pieces ON the earth, and
nuzzled over by wild hogs until
some one discovered her, she with
drew her trembling hand again, de-. .
liberately choosing a grave In the
sea.
Then voice seemed to speak In
her ear from the chill solitude,
senseless words, as Of one stammer.
ing, like the phantasms Of voices
ly growing distinct, and repeating
over and over a command: "Retar0
the spark" it said, ''retard the
spark"
The Roc was far below and to the
north, now, the Gulf breakers
foamed nearer and nearer, and still
rang in her ears the ghostly COM
mand, "Retard the spark" She.
tried to remember about engines
but this one was SO different! Aim
lessly she put her hand out, touched
little sliding thing, and paused,
afraid to move it, yet quite conf
dent it was the thing to move. She
would fall now, IL she fell, into the
green waters of the Gulf-that was
grim sort of comfort She moved
the sliding thing, and thought the
buzz of the helices less strenuous.
The ground-a landscape of almost
pure white picked out In dark
green blotches of rosemary and
bastard-spruce--the ground seemed
rising to her. The roar of the
breakers swelled In her ears like
the crescendo OF some tremendous
up-rushing music--and she realized
that she was falling, In a great par
abola that might carry her into the
sea, or might dash her upon ths-
driftwood and wreckage OF thu
beach. By the breadth of hair
she advanced the spark: and the
helicopter assumed more level
slant, toward the frothing water.
and above the driftwood.
Suddenly the machine careened:
and she thought she had struck. 20
be dashed broken ON the ground,
lost. She had not seen Theodore
Carson on that highest dune; but
he had grasped the painter as 1t
dragged over him; and 1t was he.
who had thrown the flyingmachino
from its level swoop, even ~ &c
jerked him down the dune. with
Captain Harrod clinging to his legs.
dragging them almost to the wa
ter's edge. The car swung horri-
bly,: and, finally, spilled from It by
it's careening, there fell out Of It .
mass of red hat, crimson scarf.
pique and silken fallals. The he'll,
copter tore loose and fled out to
sea before the gale; and this young
man who did not care for visitors
found himself burdened with one in
the form of q rather good-lOoking
girl. as he could see even In the
chaos of her land-fall, who lay In
the soft sand apparently unhurt.
but in q dead faint--come to him
literally out Of the sky.
Continued next Sunday