Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-02-26
Brothers
OF the Air
Story Of a Heroic Deed
BY RALPH BE~RcENcREN
Copyright BY Frank A. Munsey Co.

The new biplane Ind only just left
the field in an effort to climb higher
into the almost cloudless sky than any
aviator had yet assembled. Twice it had
circled the aviation course, and each
long spiral had carried it a peg upward
Already the determined, insistent br-r-r
OF the motor was softened by distance.
aud 6eldglasses were necessary to as
sure oneself that the little black figure
between the canvas paralielograms was
actually a human being.
The last man who had touched the
biplane-0ne OF the m~echanicians who
had given the apparatus its final groom
ing-watched It's flight grimly. His face
was pale under its cont of tan, and his
eyes glittered with some repressed ex-
element. Presently when somebody
touched him lightly he, started nervous
~ and pulled himself together with an
effort. but he seemed unable to fix his
eyes on the tnll young man In plaid
knickerbockers who had thus startled
him.
The young a whose cap, worn
backward after the fashion Of aviatorss
seemed to add keenness to his long,
smooth shaver face. kept his hand
lightly on the Others shoulder. TO the
distant spectators they presented moth
ing more startling than the spectacle Of
a well known air man talking rather
Familiarity with an unknown mechank
clan. Many were watching them and
pointing them out to new arrivals with
the explanation:
That's Harriman. you know. away
over there across the ield-the fellow
who made that splendid fight yester-
day in the Bleriot.y
Harriman's grip frightened a little.on
the mechanician's shoulder.
did you tamper with Clinton's ma
chine before the geta way?' he asked
evenly.
His voice was low. 1t failed to reach
the group of ten or a dozen other mech
anicians gathered around his wi ma
chine at a little distance. The man In
the blue o~veralls looked at him and
then away again.
what do you mean. Mr.. Hartman? ?"
he demanded sulleniy.
Don't lie..' said the other. I've
been watching you ever since be went
up" He dropped bis hand from the
mans shoulder. We're rivals in this
business. and If anything happens to
Clinton it's none of my funeral. But
Id like to know If anything is likely
to happen-nnderstandY
IF anything happens he continued.
II may add TINT there'd be a hundred
dollars cont:ug to the man who had
fixed 1t. But it wouldn't do for him to
come to me with mis- story after he'd
had a chanre to make 1t fit the cir
cumstances."
He turned on his heel and moved
away. whistiing. The ~mechanician he's
itated. Then he took a long step after
the other man.
"Ill tell sou what will happen. Mr..
Hartman" he said quickly. Hell lose
his control Of the e~levating plane. He
rave me my walking papers this morn
ing. but guess he won't be looking
very hard for Il substitute. You watch
him. When hes done about a dozen
Of them spsgalsr-
He got no further. Hartman. his
face illumin ited with angry determine
ton. had tDrned and gripped him by
the wrists.
ly. raising his voice.
The men suffering about the mono
plane heard him. They turned quick
ly. saw the two men struggling togeth
er and came up running The group
surrounded the aviator and his captive
like q living curtain.
Take this man aud give him to the
police" said Hartman. Pick him mp
as if he were injured. II he makes a
fuss injure him. Two of you are
enough. The rest of you get my ma
chine in order. And you. Dick. chase
across the field and tell the
I'm going up. Tell him. he called
after the ~retreating figure, that In
going up after altituder'
The men stared. They were used to
quick action. but this happened little
quicker than usual. Only one Of them
caught the situation.
You're going to catch ClintonY'
IF | can. He's up there with a tam
pered machine. which may fall any
minute. He can't be signaled. and
there's no use starting a panic in the
grand stand"
II.
The distant crowd Of spectators won
dered as 1t saw two men with their
burden emerge from the little group.
while a third ran across the field to-
ward the announcer, and the others
swung the monoplane into line for a
start. There was a moments discus
sion; then the raised his
m~egaphone and beloved to the four
points OF the compass:
Mister Thomas Hartman going
up in the Rier-i-ot. He-will-try-to-
break the world's-record-for-alti
finder,