Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-11-30
win The controls set as thew were,

waters where the temperature would
be at least ten degrees cooler.
Gradually the silver streak widened
as | neared it and, when | had come
within ten miles, it stretched out in
willingly on either hand with two tiny
blotches of black smoke rising out OF
the far edge where coasting steamers
piled their way many miles off shore,
Little by little the nose of the Bier
lot turned northward
In ten minutes was over the break
ers and heading northeast out TO sea.
But there was no danger in the course.
| was so high that a yolplane 10 land
would be an easy matter should any
thing 20 wrong, 90 sat perfectly still.
enjoying every moment OF the perfect
conditions and knowing that the
sweep Of my circle would bring me
back over the earth some miles far
Their north.
Below me. on the left. the line OF
breakers glis,ened and scntillated In
the full sunlight. From my great
height, the sinister details OF rocks
and sand5ars were invisible. but re-
numbered that it was a coast avoid
ed BY ships and one that held out no
hope, but slow starvation and thirst
to one cast upon it,
The shore proper was far inland OF
the line Of breakers,
The frs, shock OF the seas was
broken by jutt.n5 rocks and craggy
lslets. Hundreds OF them were streWn
along the whole coast for miles and.
every here aud there. the white eleam
OF level sands told OF the wicked bars.
glazing and dry at low tide. but swept
ny swlrllng currents as the water rose.
And | knew hat in between were the
deep creviees through which the water
l. a. led with the ebb and flow in way
that meant death to the strong :
swimmer.
Far 10 the north, as my eye followed
the tossing spray, the shore jut'ed out
TO a rocky point where the ocean
swept around in a great arc to the
west As | menthly measured the cir
cumierence Of the circle was flying
saw that it would bring me over this
point in my sweep back toward home.
Not movement OF cloche or foot.
bar had felt in all that hong flight.
Not 80 much as breath Of air
came to tug at the controls and keep
me alert, and soon ! caught myself
starting out OF a doze just in time to
recover the balance that | had almost
lost. was numb with air-sleepiness.
Here" | admonished myself, this
will not do. That's he way Schaeifer
and Howarth vent
| half rose in my seat and sat down
again several times to arouse myself
BY movement OF some kind. Ny right
foo' t.n~led and | took it frcm the
steeune bar and stretched it out ahead
OF me 10 get the stagnant blood in cir
culation and as | did so. my toe
caught in a wire leading TO the switch
and pulled the connection loose.
Instantly the motor stopped, and |
plunged
Long training guided me into the
safe angle for a volplanc and reach
ed down 10 Try to get the wire end
and replace il on the binding post But
il was just beyond my reach. There
was nothing for me to do but to hunt
a landing place and repair it.
Sweeping the shore line in quick
glance | saw that The iuttine point Of
which have already spoken was just
ahead and that, instead of being bare
| and forbidding as | had at first sup
posed, had cluster Of tiny huts upon
it--half dozen, judged in my rapid
survey.
This meant human help in starting
me again and smooth stretch OF
white sand alongside smiled up invit
ingly. Nursing the speed of the ma
chine, tloated gently down in spira
and took the smooth sand at the fai
end, heading back toward the huts or
the final run.
Stopped at last, ! looked about me
half expecting to see a group o.
frightened and illy.clad men gazing a
me in astonishment and probably II
terror at such an apparition descend
ing upon them from the clouds. Blu
no such sight greeted me.
Instead, | saw a woman hurr,
around the corner Of one Of the huts
glance back as though to see IL sht
were followed, and then run TOWARD
me.
Even at that distance was surpris
ed to see that she was CARRIED, not il
the rough clothing that had expected
to find in such surroundings, but in
long linen motor dustcoat, and tina
her hair was dressed quite in TIL
fashion Of the day,
Within ten feet OF me she pause'
and revealed to me the most beautiful
face that had ever seen.
"I've had an accident" | began.
Eyes, know" she interrupte
tonsely. "But you must go away a
once. You are Nj. Carrigap. ret