The Carlisle independent., 1917-05-03

himself, seems to like his own com pany. He comes into town every two or three weeks, stays just long enough to get his mail and load up his burro with provisions, and then he's off for the mountains again. He takes a trip to Frisco once or twice year and when he comes back he usually has lot of old books with him. Gets 'em to read when he's off prospecting, reckon. Come to think of it, he'd just got back from the city the last time l seen him."
 How long ago was that?"
 About a week-ten days, mebbe."
 Have you any idea where I could find him?"
 Not the least in the world, friend You nights we'll hunt for a needle in a haystack as to try to find Dick Pat ten when he's back in the hills. Were you wanting to see him about some thing particular?"
 "Yes," said Hope, 'I want to see him very much indeed"
 "Then the best thing you can do, l | to sit right down here in Santa Eulalia and wait for him."
 The Kern county fair had opened it's | gates and the people of the country l for half a hundred miles around were pouring into Bakersfield in motor cars, in wagons, and on horseback, by troll | Ir1,, J A 1,T1 .Jr I near, the crowd deserted the usual attractions and slowly drifted toward | the field where Bob Smith, the Dare devil of the Sky" was advertised to | give his hair-raising and perilous aero plane exhibition.
 AS Smith, a slim, wirily built fel- 1 low, clad in the leather garments of an aviator, was crossing the field from the hangar to his waiting aeroplane, he was hailed by tall young man who, accompanied by a fashionably l dressed woman, had, with consider able difficulty, pushed his way through 1 the crowd.
 Hello, Bob" hailed the stranger, evidently an Fastener by his dress, don't you remember me now that you've become famousT
 By love-" exclaimed the aviator, running forward with outstretched hand, If it isn't Gerald Morton What on earth are you doing here?"
 "Oh, I'm spending a few days down the valley, near Santa Eulalia," Nor ton replied, trifie evasively. q have little business there that requires | my attention. Let me introduce you to my friend, the Countess Ivanoff."
 "Mr. Smith," continued Morton, turning to Olga, "is responsible for | my interest in aviation. He taught me to drive @ machine when he had a school on Long Island two years ago."
 q didn't know that you could drive an aeroplane' said Olga in surprise. "You bet he can drive, countess" said Smith. If he hadn't gone in business with that rich uncle of his he could have made a living as an aviator. He's one of the few amateurs know that I'm not nervous about riding with. Don't you want to go up with me now. Morton? I've got two- passenger tractor"
 Do I want to-" shouted Morton, as excited as a boy. Well, I should say did. Do you mind, countess?"
 Not in the least" she answered. "Go, by all means. I'll wait for you in the car"
 "Run over to the hangar, then" di- rected Smith, land tell one of the boys to fix you up with coat, and cap, and goggles"
 Five minutes later, with Morton, goggled and leather-clad, seated be- side him, Smith, signalling to his help CTS that he was ready, threw on the power and the great propellers began to revolve. For twenty minutes Smith performed his aerial maneuvers for the benefit of the multitude with strained necks and upturned faces a thousand feet below; then turned his machine in the direction of the noun tains.
 NOW" he shouted, putting his lips close to Morton's ear so that his words could be heard above the roar of the
 
 and we'll have little pleasure spin" Higher they climbed and higher, un- til the fair grounds and the city and the great plain of the San Joaquin lay spread below them like a map in bas-relief. Soon the plain below them merged into foothills and the foothills lost themselves in a wilderness of peaks and cliffs and canyons. and al- most before Morton realized 1t, they were lowering over the great San Der nardino range. Circling and swoop- ing above the mountain tops like a gigantic hawk, Smith apparently found the spot for which he was look ing, for he suddenly shut off the power and the machine began to volplane downward at appalling speed. So rap- idly were they descending that it seemed as though the mountains were fairly leaping toward them. Morton, I