The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-11-21
Chapter Eight
INTO THE NOR n

INTO THE NoR.'H
CURT went on eagerly:
~ Nov, why did Gunnar lie
about his clearance AMI take on
such big load? And why should q
private plane. which wasn't sched
ule-bound, venture up on a day when
the commercial companies Cancelled
their flights and 40 planes could
get in? I'll tell you why-Jim Gun
mar had important business on hand
that day!
"And one other question: Where
did this youngster. who was Just an
ordinary barnstormer-where did
he suddenly get the eighteen thou
sand dollars for a new plane?"
Baldwin and Holden exchanged
glances of dismay. They had worked
nine months on that case and here
came along person who hao struck
a hot scent almost at once. How.
ever much they wanted to see Kara
khan arrested. Tennyson was show.
ing them up too badly.
"Don't Jump to conclusions. Bald.
win argued. "Gunnar might Just
have been flying a plare.load OF
whisky to an Indian camp or SNUG
Cling something across the border.
A lot of foreigners are taken into
the States by air from here"
maybe so. I'm merely saying
that the trip looks suspicious to me.
Holden. did that record give you
any hint OF where he die go?"
Nothing whatever. The plane
just went away into the fog"
you're sure there's no clue?"
dead sure. You can see for your.
self. made copy Of the clearance
record"
Curt looked at the hastily scrib-
bled sheet. Gas and oil were the
first two items. Then followed O
few trifiing Observation-Disclosures.
chocolate bars. box lunch.
"That lunch" he commented.
sought to have put a person wise
that Gunnar intended to stay in the
air for several hours. You don't
teke a lunch along on a forty.tive
minute crow-hop." His finger moved
on down and stopped at a. entry
which read NC-5, Soc. whats this
item. Holden?"
Some gacget for the plane. Il
suppose"
Curt believed so. too. but the In
finite patience In him 'ook nothing
for granted. He reached the phone.
got the airport and asked the parts
nan what NC-5. soc meant on BILL
THAR oh. that's for a Geology
Service map-them strip maps that
you hang inside the cabin on roller
and roll up or down as you fiy along.
That NC-5 chart covers the section
from Chilcotin north TO the Grand
Trunk. Is that all you wanted To-
known"
"QuIte ALL" said Curt. Thanks.
Baldwin whirled angrily on Hol-
den. what blighted tImbertop.
you. Dead sure-nothing whatev.
er'-when the record held q clue
like thatl And you even copied IT."
Holden's face Redeemed. Curt in.
terposed: tits all right, Holden. ]
caught that because ! know some
thing about planes. Arm, sent Q con.
stable down to get one OF those NC-5
charts. won't your"
NUHEN the chart came. he spread
~ II on a table for q careful study.
The map covered a strip rs miles
wide by 400 long. ending at the
Grand Trunk Railroad In northern
British Columbia. Red dots showed
where pilots could secure gas. and
stars where some sort OF mechan-
ical service could be expected.
In that thinly settled country
there were only two stars and four.
teen dots.
Before leaving. that afternoon. he
wrote night letters and sent them
to ell the places that he coul' reach
by wire.
When he walked into Mounted
headquarters the next morning. q
pile OF yellow envelopes lay on
Baldwin's desk. Baldwin picked up
one lying by Itself and handed II
glumly to him.
you're an uncanny devil. Tenny.
SON. he growled. II | had your
luck I'D be Premier"
The telegram came from one Of
the starred places, n little town
called Tellaeet. at the junction OF
the Grand Trunk and the Lilluar
River. A thrill ran through Curt as
he read the electric wor6s:
Plane you described landed here
on afternoon seventeenth Stop Car
ried pilot and passenger Stop LETT
o. naornlng eighteenth Stop Destl.
MnftnFs nNEwAofst