The Ypsilanti daily press., 1944-09-29
North To Danger

at some expense that all things
pass"
That was it. That was one Of the
lessons life teaches. But never
gently, never without blows. Per.
haps that was why those green,
slanting eyes of hers seldom smiled,
and, even when they seemed most
friendly, remained always on
guard. Perhaps He gave it up
and looked out at the snow-heaped
fringe Of pines.
Keeping good flying speed, Blair
was circling Trappers Lake. Black,
slushy ice had begun to crust the
edges, but the lake itself was still
open - they could see the water
whipped to tiny waves.
"Hold everything" she cautioned.
"I'm going in for a landing, and
I'll need all the room there is" She
cut the motor. "It's like landing in
bathtub."
Even before she leveled out, Colin
saw they wouldn't make it. They
were coming in too fast: at that
speed they were bound to crash on
the farther bank.
But Blair had seen il sooner than
he. Jammng the throttle wide open,
she pulled back on the wheel, and
with a deep roar of the motor they
zoomed over the stunted pines. This
time Colin saw she was plainly
shaken.
al don't like it. It's too tight
squeeze" Blair bit her lip and
steadied herself. "Well, here we 60
again"
Circling wide, she cut the motor
to a glide and came in slowly. al
most stalling, drifting lower, closer
to the trees, until to Colin it seemed
that the pontoons must be brushing
the tops of the pines. But now she
cleared them and, swooping dowE
over the lake, held the pontoons
just above the surface while the
plane settled. A moment later Colin
heard the swish of water, and felt
the sudden drag in speed. His eyes
strained ahead to the opposite
shore: it was coming toward them
at an alarming pace.
Blair's face had paled; he saw
her kick the rudder to swerve the
plane around and in the same Sec
ond heard the rip Of torn metal
from beneath. Lurching, the plane
stopped with its left wing against
the bank.
Blair cut the switch.
Colin had flung both arms about
Trina to protect her from the shock
of a crash, and now, releasing her,
he pushed open the door.
"It's only the pontoon," he called
back. "You didn't even touch the
wing"
"What happened"
"A rock, l think"
For just an instant Blair laid
her face down on the wheel, and
when she raised it her eyes were
wet. None too convincingly, she
tried to smile. "You picked q nice
careful pilot, didn't you?"
Colin laid his hand on hers.
you're plenty good enough for me.
Not many pilots could have fought
that storm and then squeezed .
plane down here"
He jumped to the rock, and pull
ing the nose Of the plane forward,
felt the pontoons scrape quietly on
the sand.
Climbing out on the edge Of the
wing, Blair lay at full length and
looked into the water. "The pom
toon's split wide OPEN" She rose
to her knees. "Well, here she stays
until I bring an extra over from
Learmonth." And to Trina she
added, "You won't see Rodney Sell
kirk until tomorrow"
Pulling her cloak about her,
Trina looked up at the long granite
ridge, where snow lay melting
against the base Of the trees.
Where do we stay?" she asked.
"With an old friend, Alec Gum" I"
Colin answered, "if he's not away
trapping. The cabins are still here.
I saw them from the air" He looked
up at the sky. "Cheer up, Blairi
Even without q smashed pontoon
we wouldn't be able to take of.
There's more snow back in those
clouds. Let's see IL anyone is in the
cabin"
ITO be continuedl