XXII
AN AIR-MAIL WAY STATION
Once they sighted an isolated town in a valley, but this failed toarouse any particular enthusiasm. If anything had been seen by those wholived in such a remote place, the glad tidings would have long sincebeen sent out to the world, since it must be understood how the entirecountry was alive with eagerness for a satisfactory solution to themysterious disappearance of the young air-mail pilot.
Jack rather imagined that this might be the place where Buddy Warnerturned up missing--where at a certain hour his schedule was to havebrought him down from his sky trail to leave and pick up the mail--butalas! he had failed to come to time, and day after day an increasingnumber of scurrying planes continued to scour the surrounding country inthe endeavor to pick up a clue.
Jack could make out the landing field with his naked eyes but whenSuzanne pressed the glasses on him without saying a word, he proceededto make good use of them.
A plane had just landed, possibly in the mail service, for there wasmore or less bustle in its vicinity and he could see a small Ford carstarting off, as if with a bag or two of letters.
Apparently their passing over failed to excite the people, for whilethey were staring up and displaying a certain amount of interest, theymade no signals, showing there was no good news, as possibly the girlhad been hoping.
"They have been seeing any number of ships passing over during the lastfew days, I reckon," he told her, just to have something to say, andperhaps also relieve her evident distress a little, "so understand thatnothing has been found, or the joyful news would be transmitted by radioor wire."
Taking it for granted that he had figured correctly, Jack altered hisplans. If Buddy had never made his goal and delivered the mail at thisstation, the chances seemed to be that he could hardly have gonepast--that whatever happened to him must have occurred before he came tothis place.
This being the case, they would show the part of wisdom to swing aroundand start back the way they had come. It would be a good policy tozigzag back and forth so as to cover all the ground possible. Jack hadtaken particular care to find out what he could as to the sort of nightit was when the disappearance took place. Whether there was any kind ofbad weather and which way the prevailing wind chanced to be blowing, forthat must be taken into consideration in order to get as close to thefacts as possible.
So now when about to head back, he knew just which side of their latecourse must call for their serious attention. Another thing he keptbefore him was the important fact of eight or ten hours apparentlywasted. Night was approaching and they could not have even the slightesthope of making any sort of discovery.
Since in following out his new plan of swinging back and forth each fewmiles, covering only short distances ahead, by the time twilight fellthey would not be a great distance from the valley in which that town onthe air-mail route nestled. What was to hinder them seeking it outagain, and finding a safe harbor for the hours of darkness?
When he found a chance to talk with Perk, changing the ear phones fromthe girl to his chum, now resting up after a continuous service of manyhours, the latter absolutely agreed with everything Jack advanced.
"Shucks! we couldn't 'spect to strike anything while the night lasted,just keep moseyin' around to kill time an' in that way usin' up a wholebunch o' gas, 'sides mebbe losin' track o' our job. Yep, I'd say it'd bea good thing all 'round for us to drop down an' give the girl a chanceto rest."
That seemed to settle it, insofar as Jack was concerned for it wasalways good in his mind to have his partner agree with him, Perk beingno fool but an experienced airman of many years standing.
The seesaw movement gave them an opportunity to cover considerableground, even while they made but scant forward progress. Jack was not atall concerned about this lack, his one desire being to effectually scourthe country so as to feel they had not been lax in their duty.
He took mental notes as they went along, so as to always remember justwhat course must be pursued in order to fetch them back to the cozylittle valley set like a gem in the heart of that inhospitable mountainterritory. This was only in keeping with Jack's customary system ofpreparedness. A habit that had proven most valuable to him more than afew times in the past.
They were once again over the high elevations so that it was necessaryto change their altitude frequently in order to keep within reasonabledistance of the ground which they were searching for a clue. Now theyhad to climb in order to clear a lofty peak and immediately afterwardsdrop down so as to comb the further side of the rocky height, as well asthe deep ravine lying between the several mountains in the mighty chain.
It was interesting work, but with such slight chances for success, muchof the glamour was lost for Jack. As the friendly sun was about to dropbehind the western horizon, so jagged, so fantastic in contour, theymust soon give up the flight for that day and hasten back to the valleytown where a safe landing could be effected and a decent meal secured,something to tempt poor, disconsolate and yet brave Suzanne to break herlong fast.
Already it was growing difficult to distinguish objects in some of thecanyons and defiles over which they sailed, indicating that they mightbe missing something of value. Accordingly Jack swung abruptly aroundand rising like an eagle on the wing, started to go back.
He could see that Suzanne noticed this abrupt change in their course forshe displayed some uneasiness. He motioned to Perk to let her have theearphones again and proceeded to explain just what must be done.
At first the girl was distressed, for to her mind it looked as thoughher staunch friends might be growing weary of their hopeless quest andmeant to abandon it altogether, but as Jack carefully explained why itwas necessary they should land for the night while the opportunityoffered and that nothing would be sacrificed in so doing, Suzanne beganto comprehend and nod her head in approval.
"We can stop over and get rested up instead of keeping on this gruellingtask without the slightest chance for accomplishing anything," he toldher finally, though immediately adding: "that covers the night only, foras soon as morning comes we shall start out, fixed to keep going all daylong."
"I understand just what you mean, Jack, and I don't know how to thankyou both for all you are doing for me--for Buddy--for Ma Warner, waitingthere at home and hardly sleeping a wink as she thinks and thinks andprays her boy may be given back to her safe and sound."
Jack did not say any more, he could not because by now his own hopeswere diminishing at a rapid rate. Was it any wonder that such should bethe case when three full days had now crept along since the air-mailpilot vanished into the realms of space, and never a single word comingback to explain his fate?
For the sake of this brave girl, so ready to risk her own life in theservice of the one she loved, he must try to keep up a confident front.If it was ordained that she too must see her hopes crushed, at least heand Perk would have the satisfaction of knowing they had done everythingin their power to bring her great joy. So too, that anxious mother inthe far away home, what gratification it would give them if they coulddry her tears and be helpful in bringing her boy back to her arms.
They were now nearing the valley where the little way-station on theair-mail route lay between its majestic sentinel snow-clad peaks. Jackmeant to circle twice at least, so as to get a good idea as to how theground lay for by now daylight would be giving place to dusk in thatvalley, and visibility not all they could wish, so it would pay them tobe very careful.
Jack could see that Suzanne was greatly interested and he knew just why.Here at this mountain station, Buddy was in the habit of landing everytime his flight took him back and forth. Doubtless he had made friendswith some of the town folks, especially those connected with the flyingfield for his was a nature that always attracted people. It agitated herto realize that she might even hear him spoken of in the highest terms,and what pride such a thing must stir up in her young heart!
Jack was circli
ng the field and constantly dropping lower with eachround so that he had already been able to pick out the exact spot wherehe meant to land.