The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1936-09-17

clining on the heaped pillows Of an
sunmade berth. The shelf at her ell
bow held timed and package foods
and wine bottle. Garth laid down
his rifle and pack on the wharf near
the door-steps.
Ashore, at the storeroom, he found
Huxby trying to boss Tobin into
helping tote the gasoline. Annoyed
by the old mans refusal, and still
more by the indignity of mechanics
labor, the pilot engineer took up a
case Of twin five-gallon gasoline tins
in his arms and started cautiously
down the slope to the wharf.
Had Garth taken the same load,
either he or Huxby would have had
to return for the other two cases. He
roped three cases together and tip
ped the thirty gallon load upon his
back. AS if the pack had been a
featherweight, he went down the
stony slope with the smooth gliding
step of q moccasin wearer.
Out at the end of the wharf, a deft
stoop and twist lowered his heavy
pack upon the planks without Jar.
AS he Strengthened up he saw MISS
Ramill step down from the cabin.
She had donned her leather pilot
trousers and jacket but held the he'll
met in her hand.
Through the mesh Of her headnet
he saw that her eyes were lustrous
from wine. They gazed out at nm
with a look of reluctant admiration.
No man of her acquaintance had ever
toted such a back-breaking pack,
either lightly or at all. But her fore.
ed respect gave place to show OF
disdain when he ventured friendly
smile.
How gallantp' She jeered. Gle has
sacrificed his whiskers. Can it be he
hopes to enravish the fair sex?"
'sWas that why I shaved?" Garth
INQUIRED. feminine intuition is won
derful. thought I did it to make
doping easier"
"Oh, you mean what they call fly
dope. But ! see none of the sticky or
smelly mess they tell about. Your
face looks clean"
Thanks for the compliment. But
I'll soon have to take to the usual
grease and spruce pitch. Just used
the last of my frogite."
The girl flushed with resentment.
"Frogite! Don't lie to me. I know
how you westerners tell fantastic
falsehoods to tenderfeet."
sYou do? BY the way, in the North
we say chechahcos, not tenderfeet.
AS for the frogite, it's no fancy.
Years ago, Seton remarked the fact
that mosquitoes never sting frogs.
I-er-I know a man who expert
mented and who finally obtained
chemically the substance exuded by
the skin of frogs. To bad I've run out
of the dope. There are plenty of pests
where we are going. You'll have to
keep behind your nets-or take to
grease and pitch"
Before the girl could reply, Huxby
called down for more gasoline. He
had managed to get one tin OF his
case up to the cockpit and had emp
tied it into a wing tank.
Garth swung up to him with
whole case balanced on his shoulder.
It was far easier than toting deer
over broken country. After hosting
aboard the other cases and Huxby's
second tin, he ducked under the
front strut of the wing. His rifle and
pack lay where had left them.
The radio had been tuned in on
which probably was the Edmonton
relay of the London metal market
report. The announcer started to give
the last quoted prive on platinum:
Refined platinum, per troy ounce,
twelve pounds, seven shillings and"
A whine and shrek like static cut
across the voice. The loud-speaker
blared into jazz.
Splashes told that Hubby was toss
ing the empty cans and cases into the
river, instead of down on the wharf.
That small yet wanton waste proved
that the mining engineer was a
stranger in the North.
Garth stopped forward under the
wing strut with his rifle. Miss RAM
ill stood with her very artificially
waved semi-bobbed hair barred to the
breeze. Upon taking off her mosquito
net to put on the leather flying he'll
met, a swarm of insects had at once
attacked her. She was trying to flirt
them off in order to replace the pro-
tecting gauze.
On your North country!" she
exploded.
"Wait till you reach one of our
muskey swamps, Miss Ramill. You'll
call this heaven. But why the flying
suit? Going to pilot the bus?"
''Is that any of your business?"
"None whatever. Pardon my i'm
pertinent curiosity. Only, as there
are not three seats in the cockpit, I
was moved to wonder if you, instead
of your fiance, are to be my riding
mate"
sYours!"
''How else? Or does the gentleman