Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-12-09
The Night
Flyer
BY HENRY NJ. Nicely
Copyright.
The Frank A. Munsey Co.
BY HENRY N. Nicely
The Frank A. Munsey Co.


The station toward which he was
supposed to be flying lay over there,
but l knew also that, as he reached
the outlying fringes of human habita-
tion. he would swerye toward The east
until he came over the salt marshes
and the tidal flats, and then he
would swing north, up the shore TO the
point.
hoped in some way 10 stop him be.
fore he could leave civilization behind,
but even as | mentally measured the
distance between us, saw that | was
too late, for he had already begun to
swerve eastward.
In an agony OF uncertainty | held
my course, first impelled to return to
the field to await Casserta and try
conclusions with him there, then,
forced by something even against my
better Judgment, compelled to 60 on.
to trust myself to fate and obey the
impulse Of the crucial moment when il
should arrive.
In fifteen minutes | was over the
salt marshes; in twenty | was above
the rocks and tidal flats and headed
south with Casserta just swinging in
to his northern course which would
bring US zee to face.
IEwas higher than he WIS. but |
could cover the distance between US
In : few seconds by a steep volplane
when the time came. | wanted to
coast down at him. Just once | would
try his nerve and see if / could force
him to land.
He was, perhaps, ten or twelve
miles away when our courses finally
headed us straight for each other He
was travelling at fifty miles an hour
and | at sixty or more, so that, in a
very few minutes We were plainly in
sight Of each other; and felt instinct
lively that at last he knew that he was
pursued.
! waited a moment for careful
Judgment OF my angle, and then, shoy.
ing the cloche forward, | headed down
a. him.
| expected to see him sweege or
dive out Of my way, but he did not
Instead, he reached into the pocket Of
his Jacket, extended his arm until It
pointed at me. and little puff OF
smoke from his hand told nc that he
had fred saw the cloth OF my
right plane rip as The bullet went
through.
II was a contingency upon which |
had entirely neglected TO count and
knew in that instant that my plan vas
futile.
Once more | saw him raise his arm
to Gre. but my little girl was TOO
quick. She leaned so far forward
that shouted In terror for her not
to risk her balance so. My voice was
drowned in the roaring OF the two
motors
with swift, movement Of her arm
she struck Casserta's hand down and
the revolver. Jared from his fingers,
flashed In the sunlight as 1t spun into
the sea below.
And then saw hat, in saving me.
siA had leaned too far. she clutched
wildly at the strut beside her. grasped
1t with both hands held on desperate.
ly, and then. with the momentum Of
her quick action. swung forward and
fell upon Casserta's shoulders
lhave no words to describe the
slckenins horror that petrihed me
when saw that
Not even the most skilful OF avia.
tors could be expected to withstand
such a sudden iurcb and maintain
control Nine men Out OF ten would
havS been hurled out OF their seats
or Would have wrecked their machines
in tSeir desperate attempts to keep in
place.
But Miguel Cassertz was the tenth
man.
ltid not see the Mexican's struggle
for mastery in his crisis. My yolpane
had brought me to such point that
had to straighten out to avoid hurt.
ling head.on into them, and my own
plates hid them from my view as
yassed over them.
But once out OF their way headed
Town again, banked steeply. and cir.
.Cled back almost in my planes
breadth and saw the Farman dive
nor q broad and level tidal flat that
treched Out ahead Of 1t. It was a
at that excited by admiration even
W | could see that he was holding his
passenger up with his left hand over
.his shoulder, and that his position
male II .alm0sl impossible for him