Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-29
LOVE AND LONGITUDE
The Romance of Race Around the World
BY LINTON WELLS
The Star and North American Newspaper

BY LINTON WELLS

| Jimmy judged that the frontier had
been passed and they were now on
their way over Belgium. few
minutes later his guess was verified
by a sight of Ostend.
They were about an hour and a
half out of Amsterdam when he
sighted another plane bearing down
from the general direction of Paris.
The two men in the Fokker cockpit
watched it approach with mild inter
est, bearing for them.
Suddenly Jimmy frowned. I'm
doubleday the stranger plane was
| making for them. Had Rogers made
his escape? Was something moment
Gus due to happen-high in the
| clouds?
He noted instinctively that-the on
coming ship was q Bleriot. and his
| mind flashed back to war days, when
to let ship get in such a strategic
position as this one was taking,
would have been suicide. But Gruger
kept on, careless of the Bleriot's
maneuverS.
The stranger plane circled over
head several times. settling slightly,
and after a few minutes dove until it
was on an altitude equal to the
Fokker's. Slowly the helmeted and
begoggled figure which Jimmy could
see in the cockpit Unanswered to
close the distance that separated
them. Quickly it narrowed
Now they We're very close. The
strange pilot began to signal with his
arm and Jimmy stared with amaze
| ment What did it all mean? The
| fellow raised his arm up and down,
and then pointed mistakenly TO the
ground below.
Jimmy looked at the ground dubi-
| ously and then at the pilot. waving
his hand. The two planes We're sep
arated by scarcely a hundred feet.
when he saw the stranger sweep off
his helmet and goggles with one mo-
ton. His face was clear Jimmy
stared and sWore softly.
Cecil Broadmoor.' he exclaimed.
His next thought followed instantly.
Heard about my trip and he's come
to escort me into Cherboure,"
But he was disillusioned of that idea
in the next instant. Broadmoor he
knew Of old. The Englishman was one
| of the greatest of Britain's aces and
air attache at the Paris emba ssy.
Shaking his head to Jimmy's recog-
niZing grin. he continued to motion
| toward the ground. his motioning be-
| coming more vehement as they
raced on.
Realizing that Rogers could in no.
| wise be involved in such a landing
| Jimmy nodded. For some reason
! Broadmoor knew he must come down.
| He'd find out later. Turning. he mo-
! toned his pilot to land.
| The Dutchman nodded negatively
and continued his way
| Land, you fathead"' Jimmy roared
| in his ear.
! With the second negative shake of
Gruger's head, Jimmy'S eyes mar
rowed The man was in his employ.
| What was his reason for refusing TO
obey the order? lie grabbed the wheel
and showed it slightly forward.
| The plane nosed down. then il came
| upward again with jerk as the pilot
drew it suddenly toward him. Jimmy
| glanced al Broadmoor and saw the
| Englishman's set. stern face. III re-
| SpoYise. his own eyes hardened
Broadmoor motioned down again.
Turning. Jimmy sripped the wheel
and showed il forward again. The
pilot swore gutterally and his black
eyes famed. There followed tussle
| in the air the F'okker wallowing like
! a tiny ship in a heavy sea as the
wheel went backward and forward
| At last Jimmy understood that he was
up against something dangerous.
Gruger was up TO something-What
| he could not guess. but something
more than obstinacy had caused this
| situation There was no apparent
reason in the world why he should
not want to land. And here he was
risking his life in order TO stay ia the
air. Jimmy release the stick.
Turn this ship over 20 me. or III
crown your' the American yelled.
The Hollandev turned upon lam
| dark, glowering eyes, and his thir
! fangs. His lips framed the words
Take IT."
| Reaching over sidewise. Jimmy
gripped the fire extineuisher. a heavy
| brass affair. Gruger'S eyes lighted
Just as his passenger was about to
turn, brandishing the weapon threat
eningly, the pilots big fist came out
in a sharp blow from his shoulder
1t caught Jimmy's jaw and daZed
him. He dropped back. momentarlly
stunned and helplessly warded off an
other fierce blow with his shoulder
| Another. and he felt his senses reel
ing. dimly aware that this was life
and death battle.
| He raised the eXtinguisher with the
| last of his strength as he felt him
| self slipping under the straight
punches. 1t came down wildly, madly
and he felt it strike.
| Through a gray mist he saw Gruger
slump forward in his seat behind the
wheel He gave a little cry, dashine
| his hand across his eyes to drive away
the fog that enshrouded him. He
was dizzy, weak, helpless. He saw as
he turned the English attaches white
| strained face in the cockpit of the
Bleriot.
Meantime. he realized that the
| Fokker, out of control, was headed
straight for the earth. 1 900 feet below
tearing toward it through the air at
100 miles an hour. With a groan OF
weakness, he threw himself forward
upon the controls and fumbled duly
with the stick.
| Copyright 1926. North American News
| paper Alhance.)
-. Confined tomorrow