Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1933-11-30
MONTGOMERY COUNTY SENTINEL

he less difficult. haven't any doubt
that your passage east could be ar.
ranged without delay"
"Just the same" Captain Chambers
put in sternly, "the police authorities
have right to expect your co-opera-
ton. You can be assured this mission
has full official approval If You wish
me to, will phone our Commissioner
of Police here and have him speak to
your operation manager"
The agent nodded. "It might be
a good idea to do that" he said.
"Then. If it should be necessary to
convince Mr.. Alcock how important #
is to grant his permission, we car
connect them and let the commissioner
back you"
Accordingly, while he communicated
with Kansas City, the captain called
the home of his superior in st. Louis.
woke him and described the situation
to him. His Intervention, however
was not needed. 1t took fifteen min
utes to get the c. NJ p. A. manager on
the line; but when he heard all the
circumstances from both his EN-
ployee and Rankin himself, he was
persuaded that they justified an excep-
ton to the usual company practice.
Provided the detective signed waiver
because the mail planes contents were
insured, releasing 1t from all liability
in case of accident, he could go along
In It.
It was two o'clock before, all prep
arations completed, Rankin accom-
panied the agent and Captain Cham
bers into the glaring lights of the
field. Waiting there. he repeated to
the Captain his Instructions to the de-
tectives and added new ones. Sud
denly, the distant hum of motor from
nowhere broke the silence, growing
louder as it approached until it became
deafening drone. 1t ceased just as
abruptly; and the next moment, a low
winged gray monoplane volplaned into
the illumination and settled on the
ground.
Constructed entirely of metal, it had
single engine and open cockpit. Orig
inally, it had been cabin plane, with
capacity for four passengers; but three
Of the seats were removed to make room
for mail compartment. Like ali
planes, the Widespread revealed the
license number and the name of the
line that owned it.
The pilot stepped out alone, a tall.
unusually handsome man, scarcely
more than a youth, but with grim lips
and sharp wary expression. He ac-
knowledged the agents introductions
with a firm clasp, listening to his ex-
PLANTATION of the situation without COM
ment; he accepted his passenger just
as casually. Then he turned to super
wise the unloading of the St. Louis
mail.
When more east-bound mail had re-
placed it, he returned to the cockpit.
His parachute securely strapped, RAN
kin followed suit, crawling into the
remaining seat in the cabin; scarcely
had he settled himself than the whole
plane vibrated with the thunderous
roar of the motor.
Though he had Travelled by air be-
fore, he experienced a thrill as It
raced bumpily across the field. The
ground tilted crafty beneath, causing
him sinking sensation, and abruptly
1t shot out of the area of light. Al
most impereeptibly, it climbed higher
and higher into black void, until the
illumination dwindled and the humans
on the ground became mere pigmies.
Then the plane Strengthened itself and
scared eastward.
There was, of course, no conversa-
tion between the flyers, the drone Of
the engine precluding any efforts. Be
low, the detective estimated the dis
lance down to be about two thousand
feet. He could see only a blotch of
darkness, punctuated by twinkling dots
80 tiny as to resemble glow-w0rms;
after the broad stream of the Missis-
sippi river was passed. an occasional
cluster suggested village. He was
not comfortable, cramped against a
pile of mail-sacks, stacked to his very
seat. And the cabin had no heat:
with the plane racing at a speed of
two miles Minute, the wind whistled
into 1t bitterly. But Rankin was too
thankful at being permitted to make
the passage to dwell on his distressps.
Free of the sultry atmosphere and
smoke of city streets, the stars glis
tened more brightly and crisply than
the lights below; the new moon. knife
like slice moving low on the horizon,
was too thin to dim their brilliance.
indianapolis, two hundred and FORTY
miles from st. Louis, was the first
stop; at exactly four o'clock, the air.
ship volplaned to earth and took off
again in ten minutes. The next stretch
passing from Indiana into Ohio, was
the one hundred and sixty-seven miles
to Columbus. In this passage, crossing
from west to east, Central time
changed to Eastern; the lost hour add
ed sixty minutes to a journey that
would have taken one hour and a
quarter. Long before the plane landed
at the state capital of Ohio, however
at six-twenty-seven, faint shadows of
light In the east proclaimed the an
proach of dawn. Intently, almost
GREATNESS. Rankin watched them
spread like clutching fingers tinting