The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1917-05-11

that De Vigne had possibly overloaded
it-and had glanced back more than once
during our earlier flight Yet in the
darkness. and the great deceptive
dawn, | had perceived nothing Lying
as he did, outstretched between the
frames, he might easily have passed
unnoticed, All these considerations
flashed instantly across my mind,
vet | possessed Just then brief space
for thought, as even his slight movement
in the effort to upIift his head, so affected
the edupoise of the plane rs to send
us careening in pcrlous fashion. Had
we been equipped with warping gear
instead of the more quickly manipulated
ailerons. | doubt if could have righted
the frail craft, but as 1t was with
shuddcr, the great wings settled INTO
stability, and we circled like a huge
bird seeking to aIIght.
Lie down, you fool" rOared back
over my shoulder Don't move again,
if you value your life!"
| do not even know if he heard me,
but Madcmoisellc did, and | caught
the thread of her voice calling to HIM
also, and saw the motion of her hands.
As for me | was far too busily occupied
with levers and wheels to pay heed to
anything else We had already swept
past the open field | had chosen for
n landing place, yet was obsessed now
with an eagerncss to attain solid earth.
The very knowledge that the fellow
half mad with fright from the express
sion of his face-was clinging to the
precarous support of that open frame
work gave me a feeling OF terror
What he might do, or attempt, in his
desperation, could not be guessed at,
yet any effort on his part to change
his position, to even rise to his knees,
might hurl us headlOng The very
secret Of the plane, its stability in the
air, its power of balancing, and swift
response to the ruddcr depended on
the equal distribution of weight, the
absence of any conflicting element,
During the two hours of flight the man
must have remained motionless and
inert, perhaps unconscious-but now
Aroused, frightened, possibly insane
at sudden discovery of his perilou:
position, there was no knowing what
he might attempt, Our very live,
hung in the balance, and the beads
of perspiration chung to my forehead
and the blood seemed to stagnate IL
my veins.
"For Gods sake keep him quietl'
cried out to her, until ! can find ;
landing place. You hear?"
Yes"
| knew she answered; knew dimly
that she unfastened the strap holdins
her firm in the, seat, and turned he
body so as to face him. 1t was in m,
mind to protest, to restrap her;
even reached out one hand for tn
buckle, but a sudden dip Of the machin
brought it instantly back to the steer
ing wheel. | glanced down, desperat
enough to accept any chance, my eye
surveying the scene below. We wer
above country of woods and hills
interspersed by small lakes, connecte'
by narrow streams, scarcely visible
| saw but one town, mere hamlet
PARKWAY to the right nestled beside
body of shimmering water. Here an
there amid the forest growth appeare
small clearings, many of them covere
by stumps of trees, but, a mile away
, was an open field, an oasis in the wild
: stretch Of forest, green with some yes
, etable growth 1t beckoned me Ink
some mystic hand | was cool nov
; determined, my nerves like steel; ever
, instinct alert.
"Hold tight, Mademoiselle; wei