Evening star., 1925-10-11
By
AUSTIN
PARKER

| of the one Red wore-and climbed to
the pilots seat; then disappeared into
the compartment.
1T sure is a tight fit" he announced
obviously, but 1 guess l can squeeze
through"
Sure, you can. I'm not worried
about that. I'm thinking that the
bus is going to be darn tail-heavy.
! Wen make it. though. / dumped all
the gas except a half-hour's worth.
| There's Harry"
In the small tent which had been set
| up to hold their paraphernalia the
| other two sat watching Harry Myrick
while he changed to the close-fitting
white suit he used for his wing stunts.
Next he spread a towel under his chin
| like bib, smeared light coat of cold
cream over his face, and busted it with
a yellowish powder. With the SCOT
! from a candle, he darkened the skin
about his eyes. The effect was cad
! averous. When he grinned his face
! became a deaths head.
| Gosh" remarked Stuffy. THAT
| looks awful
There's others II think So" Harry
| Myrick replied, inspecting himself In d
small mirror. Believe me, when ge
my imagination going things happen.
| It's $50. We better be getting
aboard. Pelly might show up early.
| Send that watchman for a package O
cigarettes, Red. This Is our party an
we don't want nobody else in on 1t.
Through the opening OF the com
partment Red peered in at them and
| laughed. You birds stay plastered
up forward. or We'll come down in a
bunch of junk" he warned.
For three-quarterS Of an hour they
| sat there, cramped, waiting. Stufy's
legs went to sleep; he developed a
crick in his neck; he wanted to smoke.
And have this bus spouting smoke
like a steam packet?" demanded Red.
Not a chance"'
IF Pelly throws us down." an
nounced Harry Myrick. "I'll go up an
Wouldn't it be Just like that dirty
Shut up" whispered Red over the
edge of the cockpit. Here he comes.
Swing that door closed" He ad-
vanced toward the president Of the
Dream City Land Company. "Howdy.
Mr.. Pratt? All ready for you" From
the compartment he thought he heard
a half-suppressed litter.
HE mounted to his seat, kicked the
door. and said: Keep quiet, you
fools. we can hear you all over the
field" He gave the starting magnetic
a whirl and the engine roared; then he
went to Pelly and discussed soberly
the various angles from which they
should shoot pictures. Pelly wanted
more than a dozen snapped, so they
agreed upon two dozen. 1t made lit
tie difference, since they had no cam.
era aboard.
He helped Pelly into the forward
seat. Myrick and Johnson, against
the panel at the victims back, were
remaining silent, but the silence was
so OMNIBUS that Red nearly laughed,
and he hid his head behind Pelly
while he fastened the straps.
Pelly, important, cocksure, waved
an impressive farewell to the friends
who had accompanied him to the field,
and settled his hat more securely upon
his head. 1t was inevitable. of course,
first blast from the propeller, thereby
dimming the impressiveness Of the oc-
casion.
Red. in the pilots seat, pushed
open the door to the baggage COM
partment. Two broad grins answered
his own expression. He opened the
throttle, Pelly's hat went sailing;
Pelly arms shot up to grab 1t and were
sayagely wrenched back In the wind
nc tui iIcu d pdliicu, sur pIlScu cOuIlle-
nance upon Red.
The big plane, loaded too heavily
aft, waddled down the field and lifted
it's tail reluctantly: reluctantly it took
to the air and hung there. wavering
and gathering speed. At last 1t COM
menced to climb; South Haven and
the bare green fields Of Dream City
slipped beneath them.
Pelly turned neutrality-suspicious.
but Red Luke's eyes were fixed far
ahead of the plane. After several
minutes. Red glanced into the COM
partment, crooked finger at Stuffy
Johnson, who stiffly made his way +"
the door.
When Pelly next glanced about, de-
manding with the full force Of out
ragged expression where in thunder
! Red Luke thought he was going. he
discovered the pilot-khaki-clad. black