Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1910-10-14
Virginia
of the
Air Lanes
A ROMANCE Of
FLYING
-. By.
Herb art Quick
Copyriss!; 80. by the Bobbs.
Serri.l Company


the earth as the big ship made speed
toward the Mohawk The Roc was
struck by an opposing gale: a sudden
hurricane smOte her decks as her mo-
mentum drove her through the north
wind. She turned before it. The
great cOncave panorama below slowly
reversed anh began paying off TO the
north rs the vast aerOnnt drifted like
n bubble to the south before the
fierccst blow she had ever dared en-
counter Canada was out of the ques-
ton
"If wa reach an~aerial harbOr," said
Shame through the speaking tube,
what do you think Of tryiN" land
ing?"
"She'd rim to strings" said the pilot
WED be killed"
TO the pursuing Carson the Roc
seemed doomed to the aerosiat ship
wreck-a SCATTERING fall In landing or
waterv extinction in the open sea.
Ard Virginia! AcCniZing for her. Car
son followed. watching like II wrecker
when full rugged ship drives ON a
reef.
And yet. even after her turn. all
seemed we'll with the Roc The sea
Law south and east. Northing was I'M
possible; but. edging into the gale
with all tie power of her screws. she
worked stnnchly off into the west.
Yet Carson knew ii was Il losing fight,
and Shayne walked the deck In agony
as she gave ground ut last before the
wind, which howled in across the
Pennsylvania mountains and beat the
great hunted creature to the Della
ware at Philadelphia
Virginia. came on deck. Where are
we. uncle?" said she.
"Oh. we're all right!
Time enough for the trouble when
the crisis came, for shipwreck in aerial
voyaginy has no tossing before the
cyclone ere the final plunge, no wreS.
tie with the waves, no firing at the
pumps, no roaring Of white surf scab-
harding the teeth Of the reef. All Is
steady and comfortable until under
meath yawns destruction Though ev-
cry moment inevitably marked Il loss
of gas In the balloon once out at sea.
they must keep up to win the far Afri-
can coast or to bear around the whirl
to Nova Scotia or Labrador. and In
that quadrant was rain. Before that
could be done the huge gas holder
would grow wrinkled, fabby, weak;
the car would drag her down, the
stronger ones would cut everything
away to tighten the ship, the weaker
would drop into the brine with no hope
save in the prayer time accorded by
the life preservers, and finally the last
man clinging to the fragments OF the
nacelle would see the huge mass of
tapping silk and gum and tin foil drop
into the waves, himself utterly lost In
the utter desolation of. hopeless soil
tude-food for the fishes.
Dinner was served. Shayne trying to
smile and discussing with these dear
women the time of reaching Temaga-
mi.
Virginia. again on deck, stood gazing
ahead, not knowing that their actual
fight was astern. She thought she
was looking toward her destination.
She had lost sight of the Virginia. and
she was not sorry or displeased to
have Carson give chase unSucceSSful-
ly. She was very angry with him.
Suddenly she looked aStern and was
amazed that such body of water
had been passed without her knowing
it. as one journeying over a prairie
might feel to look behind and see an
ocean. The subtle expression Of the
tossing waves told her that this was
the open sea. For miles and miles she
saw great waves bursting In immense
explosions of spindrift and spray.
swept clean Of shipping, the CLASSY
rear of the racing pillows throwing
back to her eyes sinister glints from
the rare CLEANS of the western sun.
and out into this fierce fight Of the
elements the Roc was drifting stern
on In spite of the frenZied thrust of
her great screws into the suck Of the
gale
Uncle said she. pointing. 'T see!
It's the ocean!"
"Yes." said he. God forgive me,
Virginia. for numbering you and your
aunt. Go to her"
Suddenly Virginia pressed his arm.
"Uncle"- said She
ION board the ship"
The call sounded in their very ears.
Within thirty yards hung the virginia,
headed into the wind and drifting easi-
ly with the Roc.
what do you propose to do"
1t was Carson's voice through the
trumpet, but 1t sounded sweet to
Shayne. He had no idea Of any man.
ner in which the Virginia would aid
him. but the sickening speed with
which he was driving out to sea made
anything welcome as a modification Of
his despair.
do you understand" shouted Car
son. "You are lost If you drift on.
Drop your painter. and I'll give you a
tow!"
Swallowing his pride. Shayne order
cd the painter dropped. The Virginia.
running easily into the wind, dropped
back, took the line and. with word
of cheer. walked up into the blast,
pulled the painter taut and, Ikea tug
with freighter. threw herself against
the pressure of the immense gas bag.
and for the first time the people on the
aerOnat's deck chung fast and turned
their faces from the wind as they felt
Its stroke.
"Hurrah" came the cry from the en-
CINE room. "Sbe'S holding u.s."