The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-02-02

ter" I told him. '"They might figure on
it's being just another hundred thou
sand in the red"
"we,re playing that bet," he said.
There's no sentiment in this Job. It's
all business"
Hunny had caught on, Of course. She
drew a deep breath, then asked In the
school diction that had been the stu
dos despair until they found she saw
ed it for social use: "How can. you pos
sibly hope to collect the ransom?"
Casey told us both: "Your flynn
friend here can drop the dough tomor-
row afternoon where we plan to make
our happy landing in about an hour
and a half. Let's start. The play must
go on"
"All that could slow the action now"
said Knife-face as he wedged himself
in place and locked the door, would
be for this sumter to try some ad lib
stunning.
Not with a lady in the boat" I told
him. "And if the dog bites you, don't
put the blame on U.S."
I said that because Dinkel, who had
been purring in the car, was shifting
his sound register to a gargle.' He was
probably twisted into a question mark
round Hunny's legs. She told him to
shut up. and he shut.
As it was no time for perSiflage I
obeyed orders and got going. Something
told me that if I stalled I was apt to
stay stalled On the field while Knife
face or Casey, maybe, took the ship out
and tried to get along without me. From
my first spot on him the taxi driver
had the shine of a pilot, and I thought
now that Casey might have his license.
too. I'd been a sailor nee myself for
that matter.
We were heading into the light
ground breeze, and I opened up. The
quick little gutter took the air like a
running turkey. The racket so far
had been SO well worked out that there
was no room for panning. All I had to
do until I could think up something
better was just what Casey had said.
Miracle was bound to come across. 1t
wasn't as if these birds were trying to
sell some busted banker his wife or
sweetheart or baby daughter. They were
merely asking Miracle to save them
selves ten times the ransom price, and
maybe more, if the picture was as per
prophecy.
No, it was easy and sure, like dyna-
hitting fish. The public would laugh
and say: Publicity stunt" Miracle
might say I was on the inside i.
and If they said it to me they'd soon
be right as I'd be on the inside of a
killer cage for manslaughter. It looked
as if there was nothing in my box of
tricks that could possibly work. These
eggs were the kind subs used to lay;
full of H. E. that it wouldn't pay to jar.
Listen to reason? They had that stuff
on their side.
In the mirror I could see that Hun
ny had dragged Dinkel into her lap
and was trying to soothe him. A re-
verse spasm was going through his long
black sleek gunbarrel body. That bad
ger hound was suffering and so was I,
but in my mortal CUTS. Here at one
crack I was ruined, disgraced and in
line to enter a plea of feeble mind and
yellow liver against a charge of Access
sorry to girlnaping, star stealing. No.
body was going to believe that Jack
Hornaday was holdupable.
We scaled w the divide on the T..
W. A. track for Winslow. Casey gave
me the course to be steered and a little
more. He told me in my ear: This
gat of mine gets airsick just as easy
-. . and can she vomit 49,? So hold
her steady, sumter"
It was clear what he was driving at;
that I might obey a sudden impulse to
do a few rolls in the hope of scramble
ing things long enough to make the
inciHa If fhof rnrfairnr lilo - ooo1xko;1
shaker or swizzle, and myself the swiz-
zle-stick . . and Hunny have to take
a chance. But nothing was farther from
my mind. I might fly my own kite be-
tween high tension wires, but not with
Hunny holding the string. And after
all, it was a business proposition like
they said, and Miracle at the cost-of-
production end.
We edged away south of the air
liners track and flew wei the desert
studded with mesas large and small.
Some of them looked to be smooth and
flat as billiard tables and were. Pres
emily Casey pointed out a perfect one
ahead. It might have been a mile in
length by half that distance across at
the widest part.
Land there" he said, "and make it a
perfect three point"
I came owe it and circled down.
Then I saw the glare of the drunken
old red moon on a pair of wings smack
in the middle of the mesa, like a dragon
fly on a big Victoria Regia pad. The
next deal in their game was clear to
me. They sure had it well studied out.
Knife-face had flown a swift ship to
this God-forgotten place and left her.
Casey had driven there in a car to
get him and they had then gone on to
Los Angeles to work out the rest of the
program and had it worked?
We landed and all got out. Their ship
looked weird anchored down there by
itself. Casey handed me an envelope
and said: Here's your sealed orders,
pilot"
Knife-face cut in: They'll know who