Read Under Suspicion - The Legend of D.B. Cooper Page 14

Clifford stood up, wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked outward. He was gazing through the tops of the trees on the slope below when he heard the airplane. The terrain was steep here, and although he was surrounded by tall trees, the ones below him were low enough to look straight outward and see the Forest Service plane flying past and up the valley. That must be the plane Uncle Buck warned me to stay away from, he shook his head as he thought of it. Grown-ups! Always trying to protect you from one thing or another.

  Buck had just come out of the trees and was about a third of the way through a large clearing when he heard the airplane. Looking back, he saw the PBY coming up the valley. Right on time, he thought. Buck stood up in the saddle and waved to the plane. As planned, Rick was on his way to the upper clearing.

  Seeing the gesture, Rick waved the planes wings in reply as he flew past. Then an eyebrow lifted slightly and a mischievous grin appeared on Rick’s face. Maybe a slight change of plans. He could hit this clearing instead. No, I shouldn’t. He thought about it for second more… then with a hearty laugh, changed his mind.

  “Ah! Why not!” he said out loud. Rick banked the plane slowly, in a wide circle, to line up on the clearing. He was still pretty far out and the large clearing appeared small, but he could make out the ant-sized shapes in the middle he knew to be his friend and his pack train.

  There was his target. His approach was low, but not too low. He reminded himself that this was only a practice run. He wanted to stay high. That way his cargo would have a chance to break up in the air and land in the clearing like a heavy rain, doing no harm to the pack train below.