Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1935-08-24

4 is not cid ct forty-five. But sometimes
men are extremely successful at forty
five, and the old man was. lie was g
big shot down town ia New YORK He
had moved 10 Mercer because he hated
the city and the fashionable suburbs
He had bought the airplane because be
hated trains and had TO 60 to town 20
business every day. Il was about an
90 mile trip. and the airplRne really
made life much pleasanter for him.
Il made life much pleasanter for
Russ. too. He had been out Of work
al summer and fan. He had done odd
flying and some Of It for the old man.
He had finally persuaded the old man
that he ought 70 buy an airplane and
commute. hiring him as pilot, Of course.
Yes, that atrplane certainly made llfe
pleasanter for Russ. too. He shuddered
10 think Of the spot he and Mabel
would be In nov, in the dead Of win
ter, IL II we're not for that ship. And
with the kid now, too. he shuddeTed
again. IL was good to have q JOB.
The old man came up and sat along
side Of Russ. The old woman huddfed
in seat and looked cringingly out Of
the window.
Russ turned the motor up once more.
released the brakes, and TAXED out on
to the field. He faced into the wind
on the runway and opened the throttle
he felt the soft hindrance Of the snow
as he gathered speed. He felt the in
creasing hghtness Of the ship as he
neared the takeOff He eased back on
the wheel and felt the buoyant re-
Spouse, somehow always joyful, as the
ship lifted into the cold, rough air he
Strengthened the rocking with the ale
rons and held the ship in q climb, /
wide open, until he had gotten a few
hundred feet of altitude. Then he 1
throttled the motor and started q gentle /
swing to the right back toward the air.
port.
He passed over the airport lined UP
on a course for New York He checked
his drift and his compass. He didn't
have TO bother much with them. The
route and the conditions over it were an
old story to him by now. He had
made this same flight four OF five times
q week now for several months. He
checked his instruments and then lit q
cigaret and settled back for the boring
IS minutes to town.
He saw the low range Of mountains
looming under him, not far from the
field.
He still thought the motor was rough
ut hllcW uC WOulQ tAlAA6 ~ Was SILL
rougher as soon as he got over the
mountains where there was no place
20 sit down. Well, it's still running,
anyway, he told himself
Suddenly q dead, enormous silence,
ouder than the roar of any running
motor, burst upon him, and sat him
1olt upright in his seat. Fear, like
,lutching monster, gripped him and
queezed adrenaline into his blood /
tream from q small gland near his .
liver. Quickly his heart leaped to
aster beat, and his mind Whtrled in ,
,lur while all his vital powers leaped /
With It to a higher speed. He bIindiy
nd instinctively wheeled the ship
harply to the right, and as he rolled
ut, heading in the opposite direction
nd facing the airport again, his mind
vas clear and cold and fast, his heart
leat pounding, racing, his body tense,
lert. Everything had slowed down,
le thought, and he got the distinct I'M
ression Of viewing a slow motion
movie. Really, Of course, 1t was only b
hat he had speeded up.
He studied the airport intently, took 1
sweeping glance beneath him and e
licked q possible alternative field and
5udied the airport again. He had
ever seen 1t look so small, although
had always been q lousy little air
ort. He decided he could make it. "
What If he didn't2 He studied 1t "
gain, while thoughts and half thoughts 81
nd half formed pictures came and n