Evening star., 1936-10-11
THIS WEEK

vessel meeting another Burke could
not help wondering if the makers of
that whistle had ever thought it would
be blown for such purpose.
He consulted his wrist watch Ex-
actly thirteen minutes and thirty-six
seconds had elapsed from the time
the navigator had given him an esti-
mate of the time when the plane would
pass over the ship.
As the big liner dropped astern
and was obscured from Burke's vision.
Peterson grinned. Meat job, eh?"
I'm say she is. never before real
lied how graceful those liners really
were. Tell me. Joe. what'd happen if
something went wrong and you had
to come DOWN."
Peterson grinned. Jaw. 60 back and
forget it. Leave the problem of getting
there to us. Sit down and be comfort
able. You're as safe here as if you were
flying across the continent
mo. but what would happen if you
came DOWN."
I'VE wouldn't have to come down.
in the first place. In the second place.
if we did. we'd be able to pick the
place we came down - that is within
a hundred miles or so. And when we
landed we'd ride the waves just the
same as yacht would"
Suppose the weather was rough?
WED still ride 'em. Remember
that this ship was designed especially
for the problems it has to meet. and
remember yachts that weren't half as
big as this plane have sailed all over
the world. There are ships spotted all
over the ocean and we're in constant
touch with them. If we ever made a
forced landing. we'd broadcast our
position within few feet. We could
keep afloat indefinitely. I'm due
for little shut-eye. broke into it to
give you look - see. Now go on back
and enjoy yourself"
Peterson grinned and walked away.
Burke returned to his seat, had very
appetizing lunch. and settled back
against the comfortable cushions,
feeling completely relaxed. warm. and
drowsy. Once more he slept. When he
wakened. he noticed that the sun
was low in the heavens.
The airship was flirting with the
tropics now. and there were rain
squalls drifting over the surface Of the
ocean. while far ahead lay bank Of
clouds, black, ominous and foreboding.
Burke realized the plane was climb
ing, but the wall of clouds ahead
seemed to stretch up to the limit Of
the heavens. They'd blotted out the
sun. An early twilight came over the
water. And then, almost without
warning, they were in the clouds. He
saw black masses whirling past. oblit-
Grating the sea and sky. Rain lashed
against the windows. beat upon the
body of the craft and, abruptly,
everything was swallowed in dark
ness.
Burke felt thrill of fear. He re-
membered all he had heard about
blind flying. The darkness aroused
within him that peculiar sense of fear
which darkness had impressed upon
him as child.
A light switch clicked. An indirect
lighting system flooded the cabin with
cozy illumination. One of the pilots
passed Burke and said casually. Like
to read a magazine?" He handed
Tracy the latest issue of popular
weekly.
''What is this, a Storm" Burke
asked. trying to keep uneasiness from
his voice.
The man shrugged his shoulders.
"A bit of dirty weather for about two
hundred and twenty-five miles. Then
we'll run out of it. There'll be some
high scattered clouds for about fifteen
minutes after we get out of the storm
area, and then we'll run into clear