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+ padding-right: 0.5em ; + vertical-align: top } + +table.docutils th.field-name, table.docinfo th.docinfo-name { + font-weight: bold ; + text-align: left ; + white-space: nowrap ; + padding-left: 0 } + +h1 tt.docutils, h2 tt.docutils, h3 tt.docutils, +h4 tt.docutils, h5 tt.docutils, h6 tt.docutils { + font-size: 100% } + +ul.auto-toc { + list-style-type: none } + +</style> +<style type="text/css"> +body { margin: 2em 10%; text-align: justify } +h1 {font-size:1.4em; text-align:center; font-weight:normal;} +h2 {font-size:1.2em; text-align:center; font-weight:normal; margin-top:2em; font-size:1.4em;} +.title {font-size:1.4em;} +img.align-center {display: block; text-align:center; margin: 30px auto;} + +</style> +</head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Famous Flyers, by J. J. Grayson + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Famous Flyers + And Their Famous Flights + +Author: J. J. Grayson + +Release Date: December 7, 2010 [EBook #34593] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: UTF-8 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FAMOUS FLYERS *** + + + + +Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.fadedpage.net + + + + + + +</pre> + +<div class="document" id="famous-flyers-and-their-famous-flights"> +<h1 class="title">FAMOUS FLYERS AND THEIR FAMOUS FLIGHTS</h1> + +<div class="align-center line-block"> +<div class="line">By</div> +<div class="line"><br /></div> +<div class="line">CAPT. J. J. GRAYSON</div> +</div> +<img alt="images/illus-emb.png" class="align-center" src="images/illus-emb.png" /> +<div class="align-center line-block"> +<div class="line">THE WORLD SYNDICATE PUBLISHING COMPANY</div> +<div class="line"><br /></div> +<div class="line">Cleveland, Ohio — New York, N. Y.</div> +</div> +<hr class="docutils" /> +<div class="align-center line-block"> +<div class="line">Copyright</div> +<div class="line"><em>by</em></div> +<div class="line">THE WORLD SYNDICATE PUB. CO.</div> +<div class="line">1932</div> +<div class="line"><br /></div> +<div class="line"><em>Printed in the United States of America</em></div> +<div class="line">by</div> +<div class="line">THE COMMERCIAL BOOKBINDING CO.</div> +<div class="line">CLEVELAND, O.</div> +</div> +<hr class="docutils" /> +<div class="contents topic" id="contents-page"> +<p class="topic-title first">CONTENTS PAGE</p> +<ul class="simple"> +<li><a class="reference internal" href="#chapter-iexciting-news" id="id1">CHAPTER I—Exciting News</a></li> +<li><a class="reference internal" href="#chapter-iicaptain-bill" id="id2">CHAPTER II—Captain Bill</a></li> +<li><a class="reference internal" href="#chapter-iiithe-wright-brothers" id="id3">CHAPTER III—The Wright Brothers</a></li> +<li><a class="reference internal" href="#chapter-ivsome-war-heroes" id="id4">CHAPTER IV—Some War Heroes</a></li> +<li><a class="reference internal" href="#chapter-vthe-eagle" id="id5">CHAPTER V—The Eagle</a></li> +<li><a class="reference internal" href="#chapter-vimore-about-the-eagle" id="id6">CHAPTER VI—More About The Eagle</a></li> +<li><a class="reference internal" href="#chapter-viia-close-shave" id="id7">CHAPTER VII—A Close Shave</a></li> +<li><a class="reference internal" href="#chapter-viiinorth-pole-and-south" id="id8">CHAPTER VIII—North Pole and South</a></li> +<li><a class="reference internal" href="#chapter-ixfour-women-flyers" id="id9">CHAPTER IX—Four Women Flyers</a></li> +<li><a class="reference internal" href="#chapter-xhawks-and-doolittle" id="id10">CHAPTER X—Hawks and Doolittle</a></li> +<li><a class="reference internal" href="#chapter-xihal-comes-through" id="id11">CHAPTER XI—Hal Comes Through</a></li> +</ul> +</div> +<hr class="docutils" /> +<div class="align-center title line-block"> +<div class="line">FAMOUS FLYERS</div> +<div class="line">AND THEIR FAMOUS FLIGHTS</div> +</div> +<div class="section" id="chapter-iexciting-news"> +<h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id1">CHAPTER I—Exciting News</a></h1> +<p>Bob Martin stood outside the large red +brick house and whistled. He whistled three +notes, a long and two short, which meant +to Hal Gregg inside that Bob wanted to +see him, and to see him quickly. Something +was up. At least, that was what it should +have meant to Hal, but evidently it didn’t, +because no answering whistle came out to +Bob, and no head appeared in any of the +windows.</p> +<p>Bob whistled again, this time a little more +shrilly, and he kept on whistling until a +pale, spectacled face appeared at an upstairs +window. The window was thrown open, +and Bob shouted up before Hal Gregg had +a chance to speak.</p> +<p>“Hey, what’s the idea of keeping me +waiting? Hurry up, come on down, I’ve +got something great to tell you.”</p> +<p>“Hold your horses. I didn’t hear you +whistle at first. I was reading,” called down +Hal.</p> +<p>Bob snorted. “Put it away and hurry up +down. Books can wait. You should hear +the news I’ve got to tell you.”</p> +<p>“The book’s swell,” said Hal. “It’s that +new book on aviation I got for my birthday. +Is your news more important than that?”</p> +<p>“You bet it is,” yelled Bob. “And if you +aren’t down here in two seconds, I’m going +to keep it to myself. And won’t you be +sorry!”</p> +<p>Hal laughed. “I’ll be down in one second. +I’m not going to have you knowing +anything I don’t know. You’re too smart +now.” The dark head disappeared from the +window, reappeared atop the narrow shoulders +of its owner at the front door within +a few seconds, bobbing about as he leaped +down the front steps two at a time. Hal +Gregg joined his pal Bob under the maple +tree on the Gregg front lawn.</p> +<p>The two boys made a strange contrast as +they flung themselves down in the shade of +the tree. They were the same age, sixteen, +with Hal having a little edge on his friend. +But Bob could have passed for the other +boy’s big brother. He was a full head taller, +his shoulders were broader, his complexion +ruddier. He was the typical outdoor +boy, with tousled brown hair, a few unruly +freckles, and a broad pleasant face. Hal Gregg +was short and slight, with sloping narrow +shoulders. His complexion was dark, and +his large, serious eyes were hidden behind +shell-rimmed eye-glasses. Yet though they +were such a badly matched team, the two +boys were fast friends.</p> +<p>Their friendship had begun strangely. In +the first place, they lived next door to each +other, on a quiet, shady side-street in the +large city of Crowley. Bob had lived there +first, while the red brick house next to his +had been empty for a long time. Nobody +Bob’s age had ever lived in that house, and +he had grown to look at it as an old fogey +sort of a house, very dull, and fit only for +grownups. It didn’t seem as though young +people could ever live in it. So he’d been +pretty much excited when he found out that +the house had been sold, and that a boy his +own age was going to move in.</p> +<p>But his first glimpse of Hal was a disappointed +one. “Oh, golly, just my luck,” +he said to his mother. “Somebody my own +age moves in next door at last, and look +what he turns out to be.”</p> +<p>Mrs. Martin had also caught a glimpse +of Hal as he had got out of the automobile +with his mother, and entered the house. “He +seems to me to be a very nice boy,” she said +quietly.</p> +<p>“Nice! That’s just the point. He looks +as though he’s so nice he’ll be as dull as +ditchwater. I’ll bet he’s the kind that can’t +tell one airplane from another, and buys +his radio sets all made up, with twenty tubes +and all kinds of gadgets. Lot of fun I’ll +have with him!”</p> +<p>Mrs. Martin smiled and said nothing. She +was a wise mother. She knew that if she +praised Hal too much he would seem just +so much worse in her son’s eyes. So she resolved +to let him decide for himself, just as +she always let him decide, whether he wanted +Hal for a friend or not.</p> +<p>For several days Bob saw nothing of Hal, +but one day, as he rode his bicycle up the +driveway that separated the two houses, he +heard someone hail him. He looked over +into the Gregg yard and saw Hal there, +stretched out in a steamer chair, an open +book in his lap. He looked very small and +puny. Bob got down from his bike. He +was embarrassed. Hal hailed him again. +“Come on over,” he called.</p> +<p>Bob got down and walked over to where +the other boy was sitting. The meeting between +two strange boys is usually a hard +one, with suspicion on both sides. But Hal +seemed surprisingly pleasant. “I’ve seen you +riding around,” he said, “but I haven’t had +a chance to call you before. I’m Hal Gregg. +You’re Bob, aren’t you?”</p> +<p>“Sure,” grinned Bob. He was beginning +to think that this Hal might not be such +a bad sort. “How did you know?”</p> +<p>“Oh, I’m a Sherlock Holmes. Anyway, +I’ve heard your mother calling to you. +And if she calls you ‘Bob,’ that must be +your name.”</p> +<p>Bob laughed, “You’re right, she ought +to know,” he said. But he didn’t know +what to say next. Hal filled in the gap.</p> +<p>“You go swimming a lot, and bicycling, +don’t you?”</p> +<p>“Sure,” Bob replied. “That’s about all a +fellow likes to do in summer. Don’t you +swim?”</p> +<p>Hal’s forehead wrinkled. “My mother +doesn’t like me to go swimming,” he said. +“I’ve never had a bike, either. You see, my +mother’s always afraid that something’ll happen +to me. She hasn’t got anybody but +me, you know. I haven’t got a father, or +any other family. I guess that’s what makes +Mother so anxious about me.”</p> +<p>“My mother never seems to worry very +much about me,” said Bob. “At least, she +never shows it.”</p> +<p>Hal looked at Bob enviously. “You don’t +have to be worried about,” he said. “You’re +as husky as they come.”</p> +<p>Bob felt himself getting warm. This +wasn’t the way for a fellow to talk. All +of his friends called each other “shrimp” +or “sawed-off,” no matter how big and husky +they might be. None of them ever showed +such poor taste as to compliment a +fellow. He guessed, and correctly, that Hal +hadn’t been with boys enough to learn the +proper boy code of etiquette. But he just +said, “Aw, I’m not so husky,” which was +the proper answer to a compliment, anyway.</p> +<p>“You sure are,” said Hal. “You see, I +was a sickly child, and had to be taken care +of all the time. I’m all right now, but my +mother doesn’t seem to realize it. She still +treats me as though I was about to break +out with the measles any minute. I guess +that’s about all I used to do when I was a +kid.”</p> +<p>“With measles?” laughed Bob. “I thought +that you could get those only once.”</p> +<p>“Oh, if it wasn’t measles, then something +else. Anyway, here I am.”</p> +<p>Bob’s opinion of the boy had sunk lower +and lower. He saw that they weren’t going +to get on at all. Why, the boy was nothing +but a mollycoddle, and not much fun. +“What do you do for fun?” he asked, curiously.</p> +<p>“Oh, I read a lot,” said Hal, picking up +the book in his lap.</p> +<p>Bob’s mind was now more firmly made +up. A fellow who spent all his time +reading was no fun at all. And he needn’t think +that Bob was going to encourage any friendship, +either. “What’s the book?” he asked.</p> +<p>“A biography,” said Hal.</p> +<p>“Biography!” thought Bob, but he looked +at the title. It was a life of Admiral +Byrd.</p> +<p>Bob’s eyes lighted up. “Oh, say,” he +said, “is that good?”</p> +<p>“It’s great,” said Hal. “You know, I +read every book on aviators that comes out. +I’ve always wanted to be one—an aviator, +you know.”</p> +<p>Bob sat up and took notice. “Gee, you +have? Why, so have I. My Uncle Bill’s +an aviator. You ought to know him. He +was in the war. Joined when he was just +eighteen. I’m going to be an aviator, too.”</p> +<p>“You are? Have you ever been up?”</p> +<p>“No,” said Bob, “but I’m going some +day. Bill’s going to teach me how to pilot +a plane. He’s promised. He’s coming to +visit us some time and bring his own plane. +Dad takes me out to the airport whenever +he can, and we watch the planes. I’ve never +had a chance to go up, though.”</p> +<p>Hal’s eyes clouded. “I hope you get to +be an aviator,” he said, “I don’t think that +I ever shall. My mother’d never allow me +to go up.”</p> +<p>“Oh, sure, she would,” consoled Bob, “if +you wanted to badly enough. Have you +ever built a plane? A model, I mean?”</p> +<p>“Have I? Dozens. One of them flew, +too. You’ve got to come up to my workshop +and see them,” said Hal eagerly. “I +read every new book that comes out. I +think that airplanes are the greatest thing +out.”</p> +<p>“You’ve got to see my models, too. I +made a <em>Spirit of St. Louis</em> the year that Lindy +flew across the Atlantic. Of course it +isn’t as good as my later ones. Say, we’re +going to have a swell time, aren’t we?” At +that moment Bob knew that he and Hal +were going to be good friends.</p> +<p>And good friends they were. There were +a great many things about Hal that annoyed +Bob no end at first. Hal was, without a +doubt, his mother’s boy. He was afraid of +things—things that the fearless Bob took for +granted. He was afraid of the dark—afraid +of getting his feet wet—afraid of staying +too late and worrying his mother. And then +he was awkward. Bob tried gradually to +initiate him into masculine sports—but it +irked him to watch Hal throw a ball like a +girl, or swim like a splashing porpoise. But +he had to admit that Hal tried. And when +he got better at things, it was fun teaching +him. Bob felt years older than his pupil, +and gradually came to take a protective attitude +toward him that amused his mother.</p> +<p>Mrs. Martin smiled one day when Bob +complained about Hal’s awkwardness in +catching a ball. “Well,” she said, “you may +be teaching Hal things, but he’s teaching you, +too, and you should be grateful to him.”</p> +<p>“What’s he teaching me?” asked Bob, surprised.</p> +<p>“I notice, Bob, that you’re reading a +great deal more than you ever have. I think +that that’s Hal’s influence.”</p> +<p>“Oh, that,” said Bob, “why, we read +the lives of the famous flyers, that’s all. Why, +that’s fun. That’s not reading.”</p> +<p>Mrs. Martin smiled again, and kept her +customary silence.</p> +<p>The strange friendship, founded on the +love of airplanes, flourished. The boys were +always together, and had invented an +elaborate system of signals to communicate with +each other at such times as they weren’t with +one another. Two crossed flags meant +“Come over at once.” One flag with a black +ball on it meant “I can’t come over.” These +flags, usually limp and bedraggled by the +elements horrified the parents of both Bob +and Hal when they saw them hanging in +various intricate designs out of windows and +on bushes and trees in the garden. But since +they seemed necessary to the general scheme +of things, they were allowed to go unmolested, +even in the careful Gregg household.</p> +<p>The friendship had weathered a summer, +a school year, and was now entering the +boys’ summer vacation again. It was at the +beginning of this vacation that Bob whistled +to Hal and called to him to come down to +hear his wonderful news.</p> +<p>“Well,” said Hal, “spill the news.” It +must be said of Hal that he tried even to +master the language of the real boy in his +education as a good sport.</p> +<p>“Bill’s coming,” said Bob, trying to hide +his excitement, but not succeeding very well.</p> +<p>“What?” shouted Hal.</p> +<p>“Sure, Captain Bill’s coming to spend the +summer with us. He’s flying here in his +own plane.”</p> +<p>“Oh, golly,” said Hal, and could say no +more.</p> +<p>Captain Bill was the boys’ patron saint. +It had been through his uncle Bill that Bob +Martin had developed his mania for flying. +Captain Bill Hale was Bob’s mother’s youngest +brother, the adventurous member of the +family, who had enlisted in the Canadian +army when he was eighteen, at the outbreak +of the war. When the United States joined +the big battle, he had gone into her air corps +to become one of the army’s crack flyers, +with plenty of enemy planes and blimps to +his credit. A crash had put him out of commission +at the end of the war, but had not +dulled his ardor for flying. For years he +had flown his own plane both for commercial +and private reasons.</p> +<p>As Bob’s hero, he had always written to +the boy, telling him of his adventures, encouraging +him in his desire to become an aviator. +He had never found the time actually +to visit for any length of time with his sister +and her family, but had dropped down +from the sky on them suddenly and unexpectedly +every so often.</p> +<p>But now, as Bob explained carefully to +Hal, he was coming for the whole summer, +and was going to teach him, Bob, to fly.</p> +<p>“Oh, boy, oh, boy, oh, boy,” Bob chortled, +“what a break! Captain Bill here +for months, with nothing to do but fly us +around.”</p> +<p>Hal did not seem to share his friend’s enthusiasm. +“Fly us around? Not us, Bob, +old boy—you. My mother will never let +me go up.” Hal’s face clouded.</p> +<p>Bob slapped him on the back. “Oh, don’t +you worry. Your mother will let you fly. +She’s let you do a lot of things with me +that she never let you do before. We’ll get +her to come around.”</p> +<p>But Hal looked dubious. “Not that, I’m +afraid. She’s scared to death of planes, and +gets pale if I even mention flying. But +that’s all right. I’ll do my flying on the +ground. You and Bill will have a great +time.”</p> +<p>“Buck up,” said Bob. “Don’t cross your +bridges until you come to them. We’ll work +on your mother until she thinks that flying +is the safest thing in the world. And it is, +too. We’ll let Captain Bill talk to her. He +can make anybody believe anything. He’ll +have her so thoroughly convinced that she’ll +be begging him to take you up in the air to +save your life. See if he doesn’t! Bill is +great!”</p> +<p>Hal was visibly improved in spirits. +“When’s Bill coming in?” he asked.</p> +<p>“Six tonight,” said Bob. “Down at the +airport. Dad says that he’ll drive us both +out there so that we can meet Captain Bill, +and drive him back. Gee, wouldn’t it be +great if he had an autogyro and could land +in our back yard?”</p> +<p>“Maybe he’ll have one the next time he +comes. What kind of plane is he flying?”</p> +<p>“His new Lockheed. It’s a monoplane, he +says, and painted green, with a reddish nose. +It’s green because his partner, Pat, wanted +it green. Pat’s been his buddy since they +were over in France together, and anything +that Pat says, goes. It’s got two cockpits, +and dual controls. It’s just great for teaching +beginners. That means us, Hal, old boy. +Listen, you’d better get ready. Dad will be +home soon, and will want to start down for +the port. Say, does that sound like thunder?”</p> +<p>The boys listened. It did sound like +thunder. In fact, it was thunder. “Golly, +I hope it doesn’t storm. Mother won’t let +me go if it rains.”</p> +<p>Bob laughed. “I wouldn’t worry about +you getting wet if it stormed,” he said. +“What about Bill, right up in the clouds? +Of course, he can climb over the storm if it’s +not too bad. But you hurry anyhow. We’ll +probably get started before it rains, anyway.”</p> +<p>At ten minutes to six Hal, Bob and Bob’s +father were parked at the airport, their necks +stretched skyward, watching the darkening, +clouded skies for the first hint of a green +monoplane. No green monoplane did they +see. A few drops of rain splattered down, +then a few more, and suddenly the outburst +that had been promising for hours poured +down. Bob’s father, with the aid of the two +boys, put up the windows of the car, and +they sat fairly snug while the rain teemed +down about them. The field was becoming +sodden. Crashes of lightning and peals of +thunder seemed to flash and roll all about +them. All of the airplanes within easy +distance of their home port had come winging +home like birds to an enormous nest. The +three watchers scanned each carefully, but +none was the green Lockheed of Captain Bill.</p> +<p>The time passed slowly. Six-thirty; then +seven. Finally Mr. Martin decided that they +could wait no longer. “He’s probably landed +some place to wait for the storm to lift,” +he said. “He can take a taxi over to the +house when he gets in.”</p> +<p>Reluctant to leave, the boys nevertheless +decided that they really couldn’t wait all +night in the storm for Captain Bill, and +so they started for home.</p> +<p>Very wet, and bedraggled, and very, very, +hungry, they arrived. Hal’s mother was practically +hysterical, met him at the door, and +drew him hastily into the house.</p> +<p>Mr. Martin and his son ran swiftly from +the garage to the back door of their house, +but were soaked before they got in. Entering +the darkened kitchen, they could hear +voices inside.</p> +<p>“Doesn’t that sound like—why, it is—that’s +Bill’s voice,” shouted Bob. The light +switched on, and Bill and Mrs. Martin came +into the kitchen to greet their prodigal relatives.</p> +<p>“Hello,” said Bill, “where have you people +been? You seem to be wet. Shake on it.”</p> +<p>“Well, how in the—how did you get in?” +shouted Mr. Martin, pumping Bill’s hand. +“We were waiting in the rain for you for +hours.”</p> +<p>“I know,” said Bill, contritely, “we tried +to get in touch with you, but we couldn’t. +You see, I came in by train.”</p> +<p>“By train!” exclaimed Bob. “By train!”</p> +<p>“Why, sure,” laughed the Captain, “Why, +aren’t you glad to see me without my plane? +That’s a fine nephewly greeting!”</p> +<p>“Oh, gee, Bill, of course I’m glad to see +you, but—well, I’ve sort of been counting +on your bringing your plane.”</p> +<p>Bill laughed. “The plane’s coming all +right,” he said. “We had a little accident +the other day, and the wing needed repairing. +I decided not to wait for it, but to come +in on the train to be with you. So Pat +McDermott is bringing the plane in in a +few days. Is that all right? May I stay?”</p> +<p>“Yup, you can stay,” said Bob. “But +I want something to eat!”</p> +<p>“Everything’s ready,” said Mrs. Martin. +“You change your clothes, and come right +down to dinner.”</p> +<p>“Sure thing,” said Bob. But he did not +change immediately. He stopped first to put +two crossed flags in the window, which +meant to Hal, “Come right over.”</p> +</div> +<hr class="docutils" /> +<div class="section" id="chapter-iicaptain-bill"> +<h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id2">CHAPTER II—Captain Bill</a></h1> +<p>Hal couldn’t come right over. He had to +be fussed over, steamed, dosed, and put to +bed so that he would suffer no ill effects +from his soaking that evening. But he was +over bright and early the next morning. It +had rained all night, and was still raining +in a quiet, steady downpour, when Hal appeared +at the Martin home, dressed in rubbers, +raincoat, muffler, and carrying an umbrella +to protect him on his long trek from +his own front door to his friend’s. Captain +Bill would have been startled at the strangely +bundled figure of Hal, but he had been +warned, and greeted Hal without a blink of +an eyelash. In fact, as soon as Hal had been +unwrapped from his many coverings, and +had spoken to them all, Captain Bill discovered +that he was probably going to like +this boy after all, and was pleased that his +nephew had such good judgment in choosing +a friend and companion.</p> +<p>They talked that morning, of course, +about airplanes, and the boys told how they +had been reading about the famous flyers, +and of their hopes to be flyers themselves +some day. Bill had been a good listener, and +had said very little, but after lunch Hal said +what had been on his chest for a long time.</p> +<p>“Captain Bill, we’ve been doing all the +talking. Why don’t you tell us a story?”</p> +<p>The Captain laughed. “I think that Bob’s +heard all my stories. I’m afraid that they’re +a little moth-eaten now. But how about +the two of you telling me a story? Some +of the things that you’ve been reading so +carefully. How about it?”</p> +<p>“We can’t tell a story the way you can, +old scout,” said Bob. “Anyway, we asked +you first.”</p> +<p>“All right, I’m caught,” said the Captain. +“But I’ll tell you a story only on one condition. +Each of you has to tell one too. +That’s only fair, isn’t it?”</p> +<p>Bob and Hal looked at each other. Hal +spoke. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to,” he +said, blushing. “I can’t tell stories, I’m sure +I can’t.”</p> +<p>Captain Bill knew that it would be tactless +at that moment to try to convince Hal +that he could tell a story. It would only increase +the boy’s nervousness, and convince +him only more of the fact that he could not +spin a yarn. So he said, “Well, we’ll tell +ours first, and you can tell yours later. After +you hear how bad ours are, you’ll be encouraged.” +Then Bill had an idea. “How +about having a contest?” he said. “The one +who tells the best story gets a prize.”</p> +<p>“What prize?” asked Bob quickly.</p> +<p>“Now, you take your time. We’ll decide +on the prize later. We’ll have to let Pat +in on this, too, I suppose, but he’s going to +give us some competition. Pat’s a great story +teller. I’ll tell my story first. Then Bob can +tell his, after he’s had some time for preparation; +then Pat will probably want to get +his licks in; and Hal will come last. He’ll +have the benefit of our mistakes to guide him. +How about it?”</p> +<p>“All right with me,” said Bob, eagerly. +He was keen about the idea.</p> +<p>But Hal seemed less enthusiastic. His natural +reticence, he felt, would make it torture +for him to tell a story. It would be all right +just for Bob—and he was even getting well +enough acquainted with Captain Bill to +tell his story in front of him—but this Pat +McDermott—even his name sounded formidable. +Captain Bill didn’t give him a chance +to say aye, yea, or nay, but went on talking.</p> +<p>“I think that we ought to choose subjects +that you two know about,” said Bill. “How +about stories of the aviators—of Famous +Flyers and their Famous Flights?”</p> +<p>“Great!” said Bob. “Gee, I want Lindbergh.”</p> +<p>“Lindbergh you shall have,” said Captain +Bill. “What’s yours Hal?”</p> +<p>“I don’t know,” said Hal. “I’ll have to +think it over. But—I think that I’d like +to take the life of Floyd Bennett—if I may.”</p> +<p>“Of course,” said Bill. “I think that I’ll +tell about Admiral Byrd—do you think he’d +make a good story?”</p> +<p>“Marvelous!” said Bob, with his usual enthusiasm. +“What’ll we leave for Pat?”</p> +<p>“Pat can take whomever he wants to take,” +the Captain said. “He’ll have to take what’s +left. That’s what he gets for coming late. +But what do you say we wait to start the +contest when Pat comes?”</p> +<p>“Yes, oh, yes, I think that that would be +much better,” said Hal, relieved that the ordeal +would at least be postponed, even if it +could not be avoided altogether. “I think +that we ought to wait until Mr. McDermott +comes.”</p> +<p>The Captain laughed. “Don’t let him hear +you call him ‘Mr. McDermott’” he said. +“He’s Pat to everybody, and to you, too.”</p> +<p>“I’ll try to remember,” said Hal, miserably, +thinking of what a complicated world +this was.</p> +<p>It was still raining outside. The boys and +the Captain, seated in the library, or rather, +sprawled in the library, could see the streams +of rain splash against the windows and run +down in little rivers until they splashed off +again at the bottom of the pane.</p> +<p>Captain Bill yawned and stretched. “Not +much to do on a day like this. I’m mighty +anxious to get out to the airport as soon +as it clears up. What’ll we do?”</p> +<p>Bob had an idea. “Couldn’t we sort of +sneak one over on Pat?” he said. “Couldn’t +we have a story, one not in the contest, now? +It wouldn’t count, really, and it would give +us a little rehearsal before Pat gets here.”</p> +<p>“Who’s going to tell this story?” asked +Captain Bill, looking just a bit suspiciously +at his nephew.</p> +<p>Bob grinned. “Well, I thought that maybe +you would. Seeing that you’re the best +story-teller anyway.”</p> +<p>“Go long with your blarney. But I guess +I will tell you one. It will be a sort of prologue +to the rest of our stories. It’s about +the very first flyers and the very first famous +flight.”</p> +<p>“The Wrights?” asked Hal.</p> +<p>“The Wrights,” said the Captain. “Wilbur +and Orville, and their first flight at Kitty +Hawk, North Carolina.”</p> +</div> +<hr class="docutils" /> +<div class="section" id="chapter-iiithe-wright-brothers"> +<h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id3">CHAPTER III—The Wright Brothers</a></h1> +<p>The Captain had first to fill his pipe, and +stretch his legs before he began his story.</p> +<p>“Of course,” he said, “we can’t really say +that the Wrights were the first men to fly, +or to build a machine that would fly. Even +in the middle ages Leonardo da Vinci drew +up plans for a flying machine. Just before +the Wright’s experiment Langley had stayed +up in the air in a machine invented and +built by himself. If he had not died at so +unfortunate a period in his experimental life, +perhaps he might have been the inventor of +the airplane.</p> +<p>“The Wrights invented the airplane in +the same degree that Thomas Edison +invented the electric light. Men had experimented +with both inventions for many years. +But it took the genius of the Wrights, the +genius of an Edison to bring together these +experiments, to think through logically just +wherein they were right and where they were +wrong, and to add the brilliant deductions +that brought their experiments to a practical +and successful end. Edison’s discovery was +dependent upon the finding of the proper +filament for his bulb; the Wrights’ success +hinged upon their discovery of the warped +wing, which gave them control over their +plane.</p> +<p>“The fact that the Wrights were not the +first to fly does not detract from the thing +that they actually did. At the time that +they were making their first flying machine, +any man who tampered with the subject of +flying through the air was looked upon as +crazy. And this was not more than a quarter +of a century ago. Seems funny, doesn’t +it? But they were not to be discouraged. +They knew that they were right, and they +went ahead. They had many set-backs. +Their planes were wrecked. What did they +do? They just built them over again, and +were glad that they had learned of some new +defect that they could re-design and correct.</p> +<p>“You notice that I always talk of ‘the +Wrights’ as though they were one person; +everybody does. In fact, they almost were +one person. They were always together; +lived together, played together, although they +didn’t play much, being a serious pair, and +worked together. They never quarreled, never +showed any jealousy of each other, never +claimed the lion’s share of praise in the invention. +They were just ‘the Wrights,’ quiet, +retiring men, who did much and talked little.</p> +<p>“From early childhood it was the same. +Wilbur Wright, the elder of the two, was +born in Milville, Indiana, and lived there +until he was three years old with his parents, +Milton Wright, bishop of the United Brethren +Church, and Susan Katherine Wright. In +1870 the family moved to Dayton, Ohio, +and in 1871 Orville Wright was born. From +a very early age the two were drawn to each +other. Their minds and desires were similar.</p> +<p>“When Wilbur decided that he would +rather go to work after being graduated +from High School, Orville decided that he, +too, would give up his formal education, +and devote himself to mechanics.</p> +<p>“They were born mechanics, always building +miniature machines that actually worked. +They did not stop studying, but took to +reading scientific works that were of more +help to them than formal education. In this +way they learned printing, and built themselves +a printing press out of odds and ends +that they assembled. On this they began +to publish a little newspaper, but they gave +this up when another opportunity presented +itself.</p> +<p>“Bicycles were coming in at that time, +and the Wright brothers set up a little shop +to repair them. From the repair shop they +developed a factory in which they manufactured +bicycles themselves. Their business +was very successful, and they were looked +upon as young men who were likely to get +along in the world. This was in 1896.</p> +<p>“That year Otto Lilienthal, a famous German +experimenter, was killed in his glider, +just at the peak of his career. Wilbur read +an account of his death in the newspaper, +and discussed it with his brother. The event +renewed the interest that they had always +had in flying, and they set about studying +all of the books that they could find on the +problem of flight. They soon exhausted all +that they could get, and decided that their +groundwork had been laid. From then on +their work was practical, and they discovered +principles that had never been written, +and which resulted in the first flight.</p> +<p>“The first things that they built were kites, +and then gliders that were flown as kites. +The Wrights were after the secret of the +birds’ flight, and felt that they could apply +it to man’s flight. Their next step was the +construction of a real glider. But the country +around Dayton was not favorable for +flying their craft. They wrote to the United +States government to find a region that had +conditions favorable to their gliding. That +is how the obscure Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, +came to be the famous place that it is. +It happened to have just south of it three +hills, Kill Devil Hill, Little Hill, and West +Hill. Between the hills was soft drifting sand, +that would provide a better landing place +than hard earth in case of a spill. The winds +were steady and moderate.</p> +<p>“To Kitty Hawk the Wrights went. Here +they glided to their heart’s content, until +they decided that they had learned to control +their flights, and were ready to build a +plane with power. They went back to Dayton +in 1902. They designed and supervised +the building of the motor themselves, one +that would generate twelve horsepower. Satisfied, +they set out once more for Kitty +Hawk, with the motor and parts of their +plane carefully stowed away.</p> +<p>“They got down there in the early autumn, +but found so many difficulties to +overcome, that they could not make the +first tests until December. In the first place, +they discovered that a storm had blown away +the building which they had built to work +in when they first got to Kitty Hawk. However, +everything was at last ready, the weather +favorable, and the plane was hauled up +Kill Devil Hill, and guided toward the single +track of planks that had been laid down +the hill.</p> +<p>“Who was going to get the first chance +to pilot the plane? Who was going to be +the first man to fly? Orville insisted that +Wilbur be the one; Wilbur insisted that +Orville should be the first. They decided it +by flipping a coin. Wilbur won. He got +into the plane, unfastened the wire that held +the plane to the track, and started down. He +ended in a heap at the bottom of the hill, uninjured, +but with several parts of the plane +damaged.</p> +<p>“The Wrights were nothing daunted. +They repaired the plane as quickly as possible, +and on December 17, they were ready +for the second trial. It was Orville’s turn, +of course. He unloosened the wire; the plane +started down the hill; at the end of a forty-foot +run it rose into the air. It kept on +going, in a bumpy, irregular course, now +swooping up, now diving down, for 120 +feet, then darted to earth. The flight had +taken in all just twelve seconds, but the +Wrights had flown.</p> +<p>“I suppose you’ve seen pictures of that +first plane. It wasn’t much more than a box +in shape, a biplane, with no cockpit at all, +just the wings held together by struts, and +a seat in the center for the pilot. A man had +to be tough to fly one of those planes. The +wonder is that any of them escaped with +their lives. They had to sit up there exposed +to all the elements, and pilot the clumsy +planes. And yet they grew into skilful +and expert pilots, and could loop the loop +and figure eight in them! The Wrights +themselves were excellent flyers. This seems +only natural, with their natural born gift +for mechanics. It was well that they were +good flyers, because it was up to them to +prove to the world that their craft was safe, +and practical.</p> +<p>“It was hard at first. People were skeptical +as to whether the Wrights really had a +ship that flew. Some of their tests were unsuccessful, +and they were laughed to scorn. +However, France, who had been more advanced +than the United States in the matter +of experimentation in flying, became interested +in the new flying machine, and sent +representatives over to the United States to +inspect it. With the French approving of +it, the United States became more interested. +The government offered a prize of $25,000, +for anyone who would build a plane that +would travel 40 miles an hour, carry enough +fuel and oil to cruise for 125 miles, and +fly continuously for at least an hour, with +two persons weighing together 350 pounds. +The Wrights built such a machine, and the +government not only gave them the $25,000, +but an additional $5,000 besides.</p> +<p>“In the meanwhile Wilbur Wright had +gone to France, where he participated in +many flights, and won the hearts of the +French people by staying in the air for an +hour and a half. At the end of the year, +1908, he stayed in the air over two hours.</p> +<p>“The Wrights were showing what they +could do. Flying became the rage. Society +took it up, and traveled to the Wrights to +see their planes. But the Wrights, no more +impressed by this than they were by anything +else, kept right on working. They +were financed by a group of able financiers +in the United States, and founded the Wright +Aeroplane Company for the manufacture of +planes, and they were content.</p> +<p>“After 1909, their point proved, the +Wrights did very little flying. They spent +their time in engineering problems, making +improvements on the planes that they were +designing and manufacturing.</p> +<p>“They did some more experimenting with +gliders, but this was in order to perfect the +art of soaring.</p> +<p>“In May, 1912, Wilbur Wright died, and +broke up the famous partnership that had +existed for so many years. Since his death +his brother has lived quietly. He has not +flown, and has acted as advisor to his company +as they turn out more and more modern +planes. He is one man who has lived to see +a thing that he started himself grow into +a blessing to mankind. And if the airplane +isn’t that, I’d like to know what is.”</p> +<p>“I think so,” said Bob.</p> +<p>“Who are you to think so?” asked Bill, +sitting up very suddenly.</p> +<p>Bob was non-plussed for a moment, but +then saw that his uncle was joking, and +laughed. They were interrupted by the ringing +of the doorbell.</p> +<p>“Well,” said the Captain, “who could be +out in weather like this?”</p> +<p>They heard the front door open, voices, +and then the closing of the door. In a short +while the footsteps of Mrs. Martin sounded +on the steps, and she entered the library.</p> +<p>“A telegram for you, Bill,” she said, and +handed it to him. “My, you three look cozy +up here. I suppose you’ve been yarning, +haven’t you?” She gave her brother a playful +poke.</p> +<p>Captain Bill, who had risen when his sister +came in, offered his chair before he opened +the telegram. “Join us, won’t you, Sis?”</p> +<p>His sister laughed. “I really can’t go before +I see what is in the telegram,” she said. +“Of course, I suppose I should be polite and +pretend not to be interested in it, but I am. +We all are, aren’t we, boys?”</p> +<p>Bob and Hal grinned.</p> +<p>“Well, then,” said Bill, “I guess I’ll have +to see what’s in it.” He opened the telegram, +and glanced hurriedly over it. “Pat’s +landing tomorrow,” he said. “He wants us +to be out at the airport to see the <em>Marianne</em> +come in.”</p> +<p>“Hurray!” shouted Bob, and went into a +war dance.</p> +<p>His mother looked at him tolerantly. She +was used to Bob’s antics. “What time is +Pat coming in?” she asked.</p> +<p>“He didn’t say. In fact, that’s all he didn’t +say in this telegram. But I guess he’ll +start out about dawn and get here around +noon. Anyway, we’ll be going down to the +airport tomorrow morning to look around. +We’ll stay there until that Irishman rolls +in.”</p> +<p>“What will you do about lunch?” asked +the practical Mrs. Martin.</p> +<p>“Why, we’ll eat at the airport restaurant,” +said Bill. “Don’t worry about us, Sis.”</p> +<p>Mrs. Martin looked dubious. She glanced +at Hal. She knew that Hal’s mother liked +to supervise her son’s meals, and did not +care to have him eat at strange places. Mrs. +Martin felt that it would be a shame to spoil +the expedition for such a trivial reason, so +she said, “I have an idea. I’ll pack a lunch +for all of you tonight, and you can take it +with you tomorrow. How will that be? +You can eat it anyplace around the airport. +It’ll be a regular picnic. There are some nice +places around the port that you can go to. +How about that?”</p> +<p>Bob answered for them. “That will be +great. Gee, Bill, do you remember the picnic +baskets that Mom can pack? We’re in +luck.”</p> +<p>“Do I remember?” said Bill. “How could +I forget? You fellows had better be up pretty +early tomorrow.”</p> +<p>“You bet we will, Captain,” said Bob.</p> +<p>Then Hal said, “I guess I’d better be going. +My mother will be wondering if I’m +never coming home. I hope that I can come +with you tomorrow.”</p> +<p>“Hope you can come with us? Why, of +course you’re coming with us. We won’t go +without you,” Captain Bill said explosively.</p> +<p>“I’ll see,” said Hal. “I’ll ask Mother. +Maybe she’ll let me go. But anyway, I’ll +let you know. I’ll put up the flags in the +workshop window. All right?”</p> +<p>“Sure,” said Bob, and walked out with +Hal. He saw the boy to the door, and +warned him again to be sure to come.</p> +<p>When the two boys had left the room, +Captain Bill turned to his sister. “Say,” he +said, “do you think that Hal’s mother really +won’t let him come, or is the boy looking +for a way out?”</p> +<p>“Why, what do you mean?” asked Mrs. +Martin.</p> +<p>“Just this,” said Bill, and puffed vigorously +on his pipe. “I’ve been watching the +boy, and I think that he’s afraid.”</p> +<p>“Afraid of what?”</p> +<p>“Afraid of actually going up in an airplane. +I feel that a change has come over +him since there has been an actual chance +of his learning to fly,” explained the Captain.</p> +<p>His sister looked pensive. “But he’s always +been so interested in flying. That’s +all the two of them ever talk about.”</p> +<p>“Perhaps. When there was no immediate +chance of his going up in a plane. Now that +there is, I think he’d like to back out.”</p> +<p>“There is his mother to consider, of +course,” said Mrs. Martin. “She would undoubtedly +object very strenuously if he +merely went to the airport. You must remember +that he’s all she has. She’s always +so careful of him.”</p> +<p>The Captain snorted. “Too careful,” he +said. “She’s made the boy a bundle of fears. +Bob has helped him get over some of them, +but I think that they’re cropping out now. +It will be very bad for Hal if he funks this. +I think that it will hurt him a great deal. +If he succeeds in overcoming his fears now +for once and for all, if he learns to go up +in a plane, even if he may never fly one +himself, he will be a new boy. He’ll never +be afraid again. But one let-down now, and +he will be set way back—even further back +than when Bob first met him.”</p> +<p>“I think you’re right, Bill,” said his +sister. “But what are we going to do about +it?”</p> +<p>The Captain shrugged his shoulders. “I +think the best thing to do with the boy is +not to let him know that we know he’s +afraid. Treat him just as if he were the +bravest lad in the world. I’ll take care +of that. But I can’t take care of his mother. +I never was a lady’s man,” smiled Captain +Bill. “You’ll have to attend to that.”</p> +<p>Mrs. Martin’s brow wrinkled. “I think +you’ve taken the easier task,” she said with +a wry smile. “I’d much rather teach a boy +to overcome his fears than teach a mother +to overcome hers. But I’ll try,” she added, +and hoped against hope for success.</p> +<p>Bob burst into the room. “How about +something to eat?” he said. “I’m starved!”</p> +<p>“As usual,” said his mother. “I would +like to hear you just once complain about +being not hungry.”</p> +<p>“All right, mother,” said Bob. “If you +want to hear me complain about that, you +just feed me a good dinner now, and I’ll do +my best to complain about being not hungry—after +I finish it.”</p> +<p>“You’re an impossible son,” said his mother, +but smiled fondly at him. She really +didn’t believe it.</p> +</div> +<hr class="docutils" /> +<div class="section" id="chapter-ivsome-war-heroes"> +<h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id4">CHAPTER IV—Some War Heroes</a></h1> +<p>Whether secret springs were put into operation +by Mrs. Martin that afternoon or +not, nevertheless Hal was able to join the +party going to the airport early the next +morning. It was a beautiful morning. It +had stopped raining, and the sun, coming +out strong and bright, had dried everything +so thoroughly that only an occasional puddle +here and there on the road showed that +it had rained at all. The drive to the port +was pleasant, too; the port being about a +mile out of town, and at least five miles +from the Martin home.</p> +<p>When they arrived, the day’s program was +in full sway. A huge tri-motored plane was +loading passengers for a cross-country trip. +As the three approached the port, they saw +the great plane rise into the air and take off +exactly on schedule. Smaller planes were +flying about above the airport, and on the +ground mechanics were working over several +planes that needed overhauling. Captain Bill +wanted to go first to the administration +building, a large white brick structure, modern +as any office building in appearance. He +wanted to see the head of the airport, an +old friend of his, and make the final arrangements +for the care of his plane when +it came in.</p> +<p>As they were about to enter the building, +a tall, heavy-set man passed them, on his +way out. Captain Bill started, and half +turned. “Well, if that didn’t look like—” +he began, then turned and went on into the +building. “Looked like an old flying buddy +of mine. But of course, it couldn’t be. Old +Hank never was that fat. Never had an +ounce of fat on him. All skin and bone. +But you never can tell, eh, boys?”</p> +<p>“You’ll be getting there yourself, some +day, be careful,” laughed Bob.</p> +<p>John Headlund, delighted to see Captain +Bill, jumped up from his desk, and pumped +his hands up and own. “If it isn’t the +Captain! Man, it’s great to see you again!” +Headlund and Bill had flown together in +France, and although they had kept in touch +with each other a few years after they had +returned to America, the press of business +had kept them apart, and they had not seen +each other for years. Captain Bill presented +the boys.</p> +<p>“They’re going to bring new business for +you, Headlund,” said Bill. “Here are two +of America’s future flyers.”</p> +<p>The boys grinned.</p> +<p>Headlund, after wishing them success, +turned again to Bill. “Do you see any of +the old boys?” he asked.</p> +<p>“Pat McDermott’s my partner,” said Bill. +“He’s flying the old boat in this afternoon +sometime.”</p> +<p>“He is! That’s great! And quite a coincidence, +too. Do you know who was here—left just before you came in?”</p> +<p>“Not Hank Brown!” shouted Bill. “By +golly, I thought I recognized that face! Old +Hank! What was he doing here?”</p> +<p>“He’s got a ship down here in one of our +hangars. It’s a beauty—a four passenger +cabin plane, with the pilot’s seat up front—a +beautiful job. Listen, Hank’s gone down +to the hangar now to look it over. Maybe +you can catch him down there. It’s Avenue +B, the last hangar in line.”</p> +<p>“Great. I’d like to see Hank. Last time +I saw him he was in an English hospital, +eating porridge and not liking it at all. Who +would have thought that the old skinny +marink would have put on all that poundage? +Old Hank fat! And flying in a cabin +plane. Come on, fellows, we’ve got to go +down there and see him.” He turned to Headlund. +“I’m going to be in town all summer, +Heady, and I guess you’ll be seeing plenty +of me. What street did you say? Avenue +B?”</p> +<p>Captain Bill and the boys hurried out, +found the right road, and walked along it +until they came to the last hangar. A beautiful +plane, black and aluminum, stood outside. +But as they approached, there was nobody +to be seen.</p> +<p>“Ahoy, there!” shouted Bill. “Anybody +here know Hank Brown?”</p> +<p>Hank himself appeared from the other side +of the plane, where he had been conferring +with a mechanic. “I’m Henry Brown,” he +said, peering from behind gold-rimmed +glasses at Bill and the boys. His face registered +no sign of recognition at first. Then +suddenly it lighted up, he rushed forward, +and gripped Captain Bill’s hand in his, slapping +him heartily on the back with the other. +“Well, Bill! You old sock! Where +on earth did you come from? What are you +doing here? Where have you been?”</p> +<p>Bill, delighted to see his old buddy, laughed +at him, and poked him in his now well-padded +ribs. “One question at a time, Hank. +What are you doing here? And how come +you’ve got this grand ship?” asked Bill.</p> +<p>“I asked you first,” laughed Hank.</p> +<p>They spent the next ten minutes telling +each other just what they had been doing +since their last meeting. They spared the +details, but each was satisfied with the other’s +story. Hank had done well as the manager +and later as president of his father’s +steel plant. Prosperity had ironed out the +wrinkles that had always twinkled around +his steely grey eyes, and contentment had +added inches to his waistline, but he was +still the same generous, fun-loving Hank +that the boys had known in France.</p> +<p>“Listen,” said Hank. “Come on in and +try the plane. See how comfortable it is. +Say, this is some different from the old rattletraps +we used to fly, isn’t it?”</p> +<p>“But we had some good thrills in them, +didn’t we,” said Bill. This meeting with +Hank was bringing back memories that had +not stirred in him for many years.</p> +<p>“Let’s get in here where we can talk in +comfort,” said Hank.</p> +<p>They mounted a little step that the mechanic +set for them, and entered the side door +of the plane. The inside was amazingly +luxurious. Along both sides were upholstered +seats, covered with multi-colored cushions. +There were built-in fixtures, and everything +to make for the greatest ease in traveling. +The pilot’s seat could be partitioned +off by a glass sliding door up front.</p> +<p>The three men sat down on the seats at +the side of the cabin. “Gee, they’re soft,” +said Bob. “I could ride all day on these.” +He jumped up and down a little.</p> +<p>“Remember your manners,” said Bill.</p> +<p>Bob stopped jumping and blushed. “Oh, +I forgot,” he said. He had really forgotten +that Hank Brown was an important man, +a millionaire. But Hank only laughed.</p> +<p>“How would you people like to take the +plane up on its last ride this year?” he asked.</p> +<p>“The last ride?” said Bill. “Why the +last?”</p> +<p>“Well, I’m putting her away,” said Hank. +“That’s what I was talking to the mechanic +and Headlund about. I was going to spend +my summer up in my log cabin in Canada, +fishing, and all that. But my wife wants +to go to Europe instead. She’s going to +take the two girls over to France and leave +them there in school. That would mean +she’d have to come back all alone. I’ve been +intending to go back to take a look around +ever since I’ve been back in America, so I +thought I’d take the opportunity of getting +over there now with her. I wouldn’t take +the plane. I won’t need a big ship like this. +If I want to fly I can pick up a little French +or German bus. So I’m putting old Lizzie +in the hangar. Seems a shame. But how +would you like to go up now? Would you +like to try her out?” he asked Bill. +“Would I?” said Bill. He slid into the +pilot’s seat, and looked over the instrument +board, to familiarize himself with the instruments +with which the plane was equipped. +Then he turned back to the boys. “Want +to go up?”</p> +<p>Bob was almost beside himself with excitement. +“Take her up, Bill go on,” he +squealed. “Sure we want to go up. Go +ahead, Bill.”</p> +<p>Hal said nothing. His face was pale. Bill +thought that it would be best to ignore him, +and just take it for granted that he wanted +to go up, too. And Hal, although he was +by this time frightened to death, would not +admit it. He decided to risk the going up +rather than say that he was afraid.</p> +<p>The mechanic taxied the plane out into +the open and took away the steps. Bill +pressed the starter, and the great propeller +began to move. Slowly the ship rolled over +the ground, gradually gaming momentum. +Finally it rose into the air. Bill handled +the huge ship as though it were a toy. Higher +and higher it rose. Bob, looking out of +the window, saw the building of the airport +whizzing by below them, then +disappear into a whirling mass. Were they going? +Were they standing still? Bob couldn’t +tell.</p> +<p>“How high are we?” he shouted at the +top of his voice to Hank.</p> +<p>“About 5,000 feet,” judged Hank. He +was looking over at Hal rather anxiously. +He thought that maybe the boy was going +to be sick. But Hal manfully hung on, +and said nothing.</p> +<p>“We seem to be standing still,” shouted +Bob.</p> +<p>“We’re going, all right. Your uncle is +a great one for speed!” shouted back Hank.</p> +<p>The plane was banking now for a turn. +They were going back. In a short while +Bill had brought the plane down once more +into the airport.</p> +<p>“Well, how did you like it?” he said, +turning around in his pilot’s seat.</p> +<p>“Great!” said Bob.</p> +<p>But Hal was just a little sick. He said +nothing, and waited for the world to settle +down again.</p> +<p>“You sure handle the ship like you used +to in the old days,” said Hank admiringly +to Bill.</p> +<p>“She’s a great ship,” said Bill, modestly.</p> +<p>Hank had an idea. “Say,” he said impulsively, +“how would you like to fly her +while I’m in Europe?”</p> +<p>“Gee, Hank, I really don’t think”—began +Bill. He thought, the same old Hank, always +generous, always impulsive.</p> +<p>But Hank was going on with his plan. +“Listen, I won’t take ‘no’ for an answer. +You fly my plane. And you can fly it up +to the Canadian cabin if you want to. Then +a perfectly swell vacation plan won’t be entirely +thrown away. How about it? The +cabin is all ready to move into. They’ve +been fixing it up for me. What do you say? +Are you game?”</p> +<p>“Game?” said Bill. “Gee, I’m crazy about +the idea. But I don’t see why you should +do this for me.”</p> +<p>Hank was embarrassed. “You’ve been +pretty decent to me in other times, remember +that, Bill, old boy,” he said.</p> +<p>“Forget it,” said Bill.</p> +<p>Hank turned to the boys. “Bill here shot +down a Boche when the Boche was all but +stepping on my tail. Those were the days, +eh, Bill?”</p> +<p>“You bet,” said Bill. “We sure were +glad to get back alive. Remember old Lufbery? +Raoul of the Lafayette Escadrille? +There was a boy who could shoot them +down. Six out of seven in one day. Not +bad flying, that. They used to get pretty +close to Raoul themselves. He’d come in +with his clothes ripped with bullets, but +ready to go right out again with the next +patrol. Then one day he got his, and there +wasn’t a man there that wouldn’t have given +everything he had to save him, either. +He’d gone up after a German that nobody +seemed able to down. Lufbery climbed up +to get above him, and dove. But something +went wrong with his plane—God knows +what, and those who were watching from +the ground saw it burst into flame. Then +they saw him stand on the edge of the cockpit +and jump. It was horrible. But it was +the only way for Lufbery to die—with his +plane. He wanted it that way.”</p> +<p>Then Hank said, “And Bill Thaw! There +was another flying fool. Bill was great fun—always +laughing and joking, just as if his +next flight might not be his last. Remember +what he did to those three German planes +when they got fresh with him, Bill?” He +turned to the boys. “Thaw,” he explained, +“was coming back from his regular patrol, +when he suddenly came face to face with +three German planes. One of them maneuvered +to his left, the second to his right, and +the third dove below him to fire up. Well, +Bill had to think fast, and he did. He side-slipped +until he was directly over the plane +below him, and fired down. One gone. +Then he pulled himself out of a steep dive, +and went after the second plane. A quick +swoop, and a steep bank, a rapid burst of +fire, and the second German went down in a +burning nose dive.</p> +<p>“From then on it was nip and tuck, and +each man for himself, dog eat dog. It was +a pretty even battle. The German was plucky, +and ripped into Thaw for all he was worth. +But one lucky turn, one accurate shot, and +Thaw had him. Down went his plane. +Thaw, his plane in ribbons, his clothes bullet-riddled, +limped home, stepped out of his +plane with a smile, and a joke on his lips.”</p> +<p>“Golly,” said Bob, “that must have been +great fun. I wish I’d been there.”</p> +<p>“What would we have done with a baby +in swaddling clothes?” laughed Bill.</p> +<p>“Aw,” said Bob, “you know I mean if +I was old enough.”</p> +<p>Hank was looking into the distance, with +the far-away look that meant another story +was coming on, and Bob stopped talking.</p> +<p>Finally Hank said, “Remember Luke and +Wehner? What a team! You never saw +two men so different in your life. Frank +Luke talked a lot—not always the most +modest fellow in the world, either, and made +a great to-do about everything he did. But +he sure did plenty of damage to the Germans. +Joe Wehner was quiet, modest, never +talked very much, and never about himself. +But still they were always together. Came +to be known as ‘The Luke and Wehner +Duo.’</p> +<p>“They worked together, too. Went out +on the same patrol and always stuck together. +Luke’s specialty was shooting down +Drachens. Those were the German observation +balloons that they sent up behind +their lines to observe what was going on +in the American lines. Of course, the information +they got caused plenty of harm, +and anybody who shot down a Drachen +was doing a lot of good. But the things +were expensive and useful, and the Germans +sent them up with plenty of protection. +There was always a swarm of planes flying +around them and ready to light into any +stranger that came near.</p> +<p>“Luke and Wehner used to take care of +that. Wehner would fly above Luke, looking +out for any plane that might come to +attack him. If one hove in sight, Wehner +would go for him and engage him while +Luke flew on and shot down the balloon. +Balloon after balloon went down. The Germans +were getting wary.</p> +<p>“One day when Luke and Wehner were +on their way to see what they could do +about three Drachens that were watching +the American lines, they met up with a formation +of Fokkers. Wehner dived into the +uneven battle. Luke flew on, and shot down +one, then the other bag. But the gallant +Wehner had fought his last fight. One of +the Fokkers downed him. Luke, who saw +what had happened to his pal, left the remaining +balloon and furiously charged the +Fokkers. He fought like mad, zooming, +diving, spurting fire into those German planes. +Two of them hurtled to the ground. The +others fled. Luke started for home. On +his way he engaged and downed another +enemy plane. It was a record that on any +other day he would have boasted about. +But not that day. His pal had been killed, +and Luke was for once silent and speechless.</p> +<p>“Of course, he didn’t give up balloon +breaking. He added up a goodly store. But +one day he got his, like so many of them. +He’d sent three Drachens down in flames that +day, when his own plane was so badly crippled, +and he was so badly wounded that he +was forced to land. He wouldn’t let them +take him, though, and he died fighting. When +a band of German soldiers approached him, +he pulled out his gun and shot six of them +before he fell dead.”</p> +<p>It was Bill’s turn. “Of course you boys +have heard of Eddie Rickenbacker. There +was an ace for you. If it was speed and +trick flying that you wanted, Eddie was the +man to give it to you. He had a bag of +tricks that would get any pursuit plane off +his tail. But he didn’t always use them. +He didn’t have 26 planes to his credit for +nothing. Eddie was a great ace and a great +scout.”</p> +<p>Hank interrupted. “Here we go gassing +again like two old fogies. I feel like my +own grandfather sitting on the front porch +and discussing the battle of Bull Run. We +are getting old, aren’t we, Bill? These +youngsters ought to be glad that they didn’t +have to fly those old buses that we used, +though. The new planes are great to fly. +You two are going to have a grand time. +I’d rather fly than travel any other way. +But I don’t think that it would be quite +the thing to suggest to my wife now that +I would rather fly to Europe with her than +take the boat. So old Hank will be a land +animal this time. Or rather, a water animal, +instead of a bird.”</p> +<p>“A sort of—fish?” laughed Bill.</p> +<p>“Shut up, you,” said Hank. “Now, listen, +how about that offer of my cabin and +my plane for your vacation? It’ll be a +grand trip, and I guarantee that you’ll like +the cabin on the mountain. Nobody around +for miles, except Jake, who takes care of +the place for me. In fact, there’s no town +for a hundred miles around. About the only +practical way of getting there is by plane. +Just think, old man, all of that beauty and +solitude going begging. You can get right +back to nature there, live a wild life, or +have all the conveniences of home, whichever +you chose. We’ve got the place all fixed +up. It’s a real man’s place, and you’ll love +it. And I’d like to see somebody who’d appreciate +it have it this summer. And I know +you would.”</p> +<p>Bill looked at Hank, who was talking so +earnestly, with a puzzled look. “Listen, +Hank,” he said, “you aren’t trying to persuade +me to go up there as a favor to you, +are you? Because if you are, you’re crazy. +It’s certainly not you who should be doing +the begging. We ought to be down on our +hands and knees begging you for the place. +The only reason I hesitate at all is because +I think it’s too much you’re doing for us.”</p> +<p>Hank snorted. “Then you’re going to +take the place.”</p> +<p>Bill looked at him fondly, seeing through +the strange marks that time had left on this +man, the young, awkward boy whom he +had befriended in France, when he had +been just a young fellow himself, but not +so green as the other. Then he said, “What +do you say we leave it up to the boys?” He +turned to them. “What do you say, Bob? +How does a vacation up in the mountains +sound to you?”</p> +<p>Bob, his eyes shining, could hardly answer. +He hadn’t wanted to show too much eagerness +before because he had remembered his +manners just in time, and was watching Bill +to see how they should respond to Hank +Brown’s generous offer. But now that he +saw that Bill was favorably disposed, he +breathed, “Oh, gee, I think that it would be +great! Just great! Let’s go, Bill.”</p> +<p>Hank was amused and pleased by this +enthusiasm.</p> +<p>The Captain turned to Hal. “How about +you?”</p> +<p>Hal, who had forgotten his misery during +the recital of the exciting stories of war +aces, and was once more fired with ambition, +now that he was safely on the ground, was +almost as enthusiastic. “But,” he said as +an afterthought, “I don’t know whether I +could go, of course. My mother—” his +voice trailed off.</p> +<p>Bill reached over and grasped Hank’s hand. +“We’ll take it, old scout. Don’t know how +to thank you.”</p> +<p>“Don’t,” said Hank. “I’m glad you’re +going to go. All you have to do is to wire +to Jake when you’re coming. He lights bonfires +to mark the landing field, and there +you are. I’m going to be in town for two +weeks, so you can come up any time to +make arrangements. O.K.? Now I’ve got +to go. I’ve been spending too much time +as it is. Wish I could stay and see Pat, but +I can’t. Tell him to come up and see me, +will you?”</p> +<p>He bid them goodbye and left in his automobile +which had been parked nearby. +The next hour was spent in an exciting +inspection of the various planes in the airport, +from tiny two-seater monoplanes that +looked like fragile toys, to huge biplanes; +and in a growing impatience with Pat’s delay. +Finally a tiny speck appeared on the +horizon, but the three of them had been +disappointed so often that they did not dare +to hope that this was at last Pat McDermott. +But it was. He stepped out of the green +monoplane and pushing up his goggles, looked +around him. He spied his three friends +immediately, and hurried to meet them.</p> +<p>“Hi, Irish!” called Captain Bill. “I want +you to meet two pals of mine.” He introduced +Bob and Hal. “We’re going to teach +them to fly.”</p> +<p>The two boys shook hands with Pat. He +looked like his name, a tall, broad, husky +man with a shock of curly hair that had +probably once been red, but which was now +brown, with a little gray at the temples; a +young face—it was impossible to tell how +old he was; and a broad grin that spread +across his face and up around his eyes, disappearing +into the roots of his hair.</p> +<p>“Well,” he said, without ceremony, as +though he had been friends of theirs for +years, “They’ll make good flyers if they’re +not too lazy. And if anybody can make +you work, I can. And I will.”</p> +<p>The Captain laughed. “Don’t take Pat +seriously,” he said. “He’s too lazy to make +you work very hard. But let me warn you +that he’s trained army flyers, so you’d better +not mind what he says, while he’s teaching +you.”</p> +<p>The boys had gone over and were looking +at the Marianne. She was a beautifully +stream-lined craft, large yet graceful.</p> +<p>Pat noticed the boys’ admiration, and was +pleased. “How about taking a ride in her +now?” he asked.</p> +<p>“They just got down to earth,” said the +Captain. He explained about Hank and +Hank’s plane. Pat was delighted that their +old pal had turned up, and decided that +they would have to have a reunion very +soon. He also decided on the spot that +he was going along with them to the mountains.</p> +<p>“Try to keep me away. Although I don’t +much fancy the riding on cushions, in a fancy +plane. When I fly, I want to fly. But +if you let me do the piloting, I’ll make the +best of that.” Pat always decided things +that way, but nobody resented his high-hand +manner, since he looked, and was, the sort +of man who could make good on any job +he undertook. “Well, Bob, my lad,” he +said, turning to the boy, “how about going +up? It’s the first step in learning to fly. +And don’t think that it’s going to be like +cabin flying. You’ll notice the difference +when you get up. Ready?”</p> +<p>“Sure,” said Bob.</p> +<p>Pat produced a helmet and some goggles. +“It’s an open cockpit you’re sitting in,” he +said. “And see that the goggles fit tightly.”</p> +<p>Bob wiggled them around. “They seem +all right,” he said.</p> +<p>“All right, hop in,” Pat told him.</p> +<p>Bob climbed into the rear cockpit, no +less thrilled by his second flight that day +than he had been by his first. He waved his +hand to the Captain and Hal who were +watching them. Pat climbed into the front +cockpit. “Ready?” he called.</p> +<p>“O. K!” shouted Bob.</p> +<p>Pat started the motor, which was a self-starter. +The plane taxied gently across the +field, and Pat turned her nose into the wind. +Bob felt her lift from the earth; there was +a bump—they hadn’t quite cleared; Pat +speeded up, until Bob, looking over the side +of the cockpit, could see the ground slipping +by dizzily. Then the bumping stopped; +they had left the ground. This time they +did not again bump; the Marianne soared into +the air.</p> +<p>Bob could feel the blast of air against +his face, and he was glad his goggles fitted +well. The motor roared, the wind screamed. +Bob tried to shout, but could not hear himself +uttering a sound. He looked down. +The airport looked as it had from the other +plane. Now he had more of the feeling of +flying. There was a sudden bump. The +Marianne dropped suddenly. Bob felt as +though he were in an elevator that had descended +very suddenly—there was the same +pit-of-the-stomach feeling. Air bump, he +thought, and it was. He looked over the side +again, and could see nothing. They were +traveling pretty high.</p> +<p>Then suddenly the roar of the motor stopped, +and they began to descend at what Bob +felt must be an almost unbelievable speed. +At first Bob was frightened, but then realized +that they were gliding down. Every +now and then Pat turned on his engine +again. Bob, looking over the side, could +see the fields coming up to meet them. They +landed so gently that he hardly felt the jolt +of the wheels touching the ground.</p> +<p>How funny to stand on the stable ground +once more! The sound of the motor was +still roaring in Bob’s ears. He pulled off +the goggles and helmet. “It was marvelous!” +he shouted loudly to his friends.</p> +<p>“We can hear you,” said the Captain. +“You needn’t shout!”</p> +<p>“Was I shouting?” laughed Bob.</p> +<p>“You are,” said the Captain.</p> +<p>But Pat had turned to Hal. “Well, lad, +you’re next.”</p> +<p>But Hal said what he had been rehearsing +for many minutes, in fact, ever since Bob +had taken to the air. “Don’t you think +it’s rather late? We haven’t had any lunch. +Maybe we could go up again after lunch.”</p> +<p>Captain Bill, who knew the struggle that +was going on in Hal’s heart, and who was +getting hungry anyway, said, “Lunch. +That’s the idea. We’ve got a great picnic +lunch, Pat.”</p> +<p>“Lead me to it,” said Pat.</p> +<p>“Knew that would get you,” laughed the +Captain.</p> +<p>They left the plane in charge of a mechanic, +who was to look after it, and went over +to the automobile that the Captain had +parked. They decided, on Bob’s suggestion, +to eat on a grassy slope from which they +could see the airport.</p> +<p>“I’ve got an idea,” said the Captain. “You +can start your story about Lindbergh.”</p> +<p>“I’m ready,” said Bob, “if you’re ready +to listen. I think I know the story backwards +and forward.”</p> +<p>“Begin at the beginning, always,” the +Captain warned.</p> +<p>They reached the spot where they had +chosen to picnic, and settled back contentedly +in the long grass to hear part of Bob’s story +before lunch.</p> +</div> +<hr class="docutils" /> +<div class="section" id="chapter-vthe-eagle"> +<h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id5">CHAPTER V—The Eagle</a></h1> +<p>“Well,” began Bob, “I guess my story +isn’t going to be very new to any of you. +Gee, I know it almost by heart, and I suppose +everybody else does, too.”</p> +<p>“Don’t apologize,” said the Captain. +“We’ll be only too glad to stop you if we’ve +heard it before. I don’t think that we will, +though. It’s a story that bears repeating.”</p> +<p>Bob’s eyes lighted up. “You bet,” he +said. “I never get tired of reading about it.” +He plucked at the grass beside him. “Gee, +it makes a fellow want to do things. It +makes him feel that the older folks don’t +know everything—”</p> +<p>“A-hem,” interrupted Captain Bill.</p> +<p>Bob laughed. “You’re not old folks, old +bean. Don’t flatter yourself. Anyway, +they told Lindbergh that he couldn’t do it. +They told him that his plane was carrying +too much, and he’d never be able to make +it alone.”</p> +<p>“Did he?” said Pat.</p> +<p>Bob looked at him disgustedly. “Did he! +Don’t make fun of me, you old Irishman!”</p> +<p>The old Irishman looked grieved. “Well, +I just wanted to know. I’m always willing +to learn somethin’ new. And you’d better +get started, or we’ll never know. We’ll be +leaving the lad up in the air, so to speak.”</p> +<p>“Ignore that ape,” said Captain Bill, “and +proceed.”</p> +<p>“Lindbergh didn’t listen to them. He just +went ahead and did what he thought was +right, and by golly, he was right. It makes +a fellow feel that even if he is young he +can do things. He doesn’t just have to sit +around and do what everybody else has done +before. There’s got to be a first every time. +Lindy wasn’t afraid just because nobody +had ever flown the Atlantic alone before, and +the wiseacres said that it couldn’t be done. +He just went ahead and flew it.”</p> +<p>“It wasn’t as easy as all that,” quietly +remarked Hal.</p> +<p>Bob turned to him. “Of course not. +Lindy had planned every move that he was +going to make. He was prepared for anything. +That’s why he’s always so successful. +He has his plans all laid before he ever +takes off. He’s got all the courage in the +world, but he’s not reckless.”</p> +<p>“Put that under your hat, my lad. It’s +a good lesson to know by heart when you’re +going into the flying game.”</p> +<p>“You bet,” said Bob. “Gee, it needed +a lot of courage for him to make that take-off. +I’ve got the date down here. It was +May 20, 1927, on a Friday. That must +have been an exciting morning down at +Roosevelt Field. He made up his mind on +Thursday afternoon. They told him that +the weather was all right over the North +Atlantic, and that it would be best if he +started out the next morning.</p> +<p>“He didn’t tell anybody about his plans. +He never talks very much anyway. Everybody +found that out later. It was all sort +of secret. He just told his mechanics to get +the Spirit of St. Louis ready, and keep their +mouths shut. I guess he didn’t want everybody +messing around with his plans. But +the men who delivered his gasoline weren’t +so secret, I guess, and somehow his plans +leaked out Thursday night.</p> +<p>“That Thursday night was pretty awful. +It was raining, and the weather could be cut +with a knife. But once people found out +that Slim was going to start, they began +to come around to Curtiss Field, and at two +o’clock in the morning there was a big crowd +of them standing around in the rain and +mud. Slim wasn’t leaving from Curtiss, +though, and they towed his plane by truck +over to Roosevelt. They got there just +about when it was getting light.</p> +<p>“There was a crowd over at Curtiss, too. +But Slim didn’t care. Crowds never mean +much to him. He saw a whole lot more +of them later on, too, but he never was one +to strut or show off. He just got into his +fur-lined suit, and waited for the men to +start his engine. Somebody asked him if he +had only five sandwiches and two canteens +of water. ‘Sure,’ he said. ‘If I get to Paris, +I won’t need any more, and if I don’t get +there, I won’t need any more, either.’ It +was just like him to say that, but the real +reason he didn’t take any more was because +he had too much weight already. He had +over 200 gallons of gas, and the load was +heavy. He had to cut down on everything +that wasn’t absolutely necessary.</p> +<p>“Well, they started his motor for him. +The plane was standing on the Roosevelt +runway, which is pretty smooth, and five +thousand feet long. The weather had cleared +up a little. And there was the monoplane +looking all silver and slick, roaring away for +all it was worth. Lindy said goodbye to +his mother, and to Byrd and Chamberlin +and Acosta, who were planning their own +trips across the Atlantic, and then he stepped +into the cockpit, and closed the door.</p> +<p>“He raced his motor a little bit. She must +have sounded pretty sweet to him, because +he gave her the gun, and off he went. That +start must have been one of the hardest +parts of the whole trip. The Spirit of St. +Louis bumped along that muddy runway, +and the people watching thought she’d go +over on her nose any moment. She was +over-loaded. Her motor was pulling for all +she was worth, but it didn’t seem as though +they’d ever make it. She went off the +ground a few feet, and bounced down again. +But then the crowd held its breath. She was +leaving the ground. They were up about +fifteen feet. And there were telegraph wires +in their path. If they hit those, the trip +to Paris was over right then. But they +didn’t. The landing gear cleared by a few +inches. That crowd simply roared. But +Slim didn’t hear them. He was on his way +to Paris.”</p> +<p>Bob paused for breath. He had been talking +very fast, carried away by his story. +The others did not speak, but sat waiting +for him to go on. They had all heard the +story before, but as the Captain had said, +it bore repeating, and they could hear it +again and again. There was something agelessly +appealing in the tale of that young +man’s feat.</p> +<p>Bob was talking again. “I’m not much +at poetry,” he said.</p> +<p>“You bet you’re not,” said Captain Bill. +“I’ve read some of yours.”</p> +<p>Bob glared at him. “I never wrote a +poem!” he said defensively.</p> +<p>The Captain looked contrite. “It must +have been Hal,” he said. “I beg your pardon. +Go on with your story. Where does +the poetry come in?”</p> +<p>“I was going to tell you, before you interrupted, +so rudely, that there’s somebody +who’s written a poem—a lot of poetry, to +music—a cantata I think they call it. It’s +about Lindy’s flight, and it tells the story +of the flight across the Atlantic. I guess +it’s pretty thrilling. Maybe that’s the only +way the story can be told—in poetry and +music, because it always sounds pretty flat +when you just say Lindy flew across the +Atlantic in a monoplane. It needs music, +with a lot of trumpets—”</p> +<p>“Go on, go on, my lad. More words, less +music.” Pat seemed to be getting impatient. +The sun was pretty high over their heads +now, and bees were buzzing drowsily in the +tall grass all around them. Hal had stretched +out on his stomach, facing the little group, +which was seated now in a semi-circle. “I’ll +be falling asleep if you don’t get on.”</p> +<p>Bob laughed embarrassedly. “All right, +you just stop me if I get to rambling. You +keep me straight, Irish.”</p> +<p>Captain Bill leaned back on a hummock +of earth, his arms folded behind his head. +“I’m so comfortable, I could listen to anything, +even to Bob telling a story. Go on, +Bob.”</p> +<p>“One more crack, and you don’t hear +anything,” said Bob. “Remember the rules, +no interruptions from the gallery.”</p> +<p>“We stand corrected. Go on.”</p> +<p>Bob settled himself once again into the +grass. “Well, we’ve got Lindy into the air. +No sooner had he set out when people began +reporting that they’d seen him. Some +of them had. A lot of them were just excited +individuals who’d heard a motorcycle +back-firing. But somebody actually did see +him flying over Rhode Island, and about +two hours, nearly, after he had set out, they +flashed back that he’d been seen at Halifax, +Massachusetts. Then he dropped out of +sight. Nobody reported seeing him. That +was because he took an over-water route, and +was out some distance, flying along the coast +of New England.</p> +<p>“They saw him next over Nova Scotia, +running along nicely, and then Springfield, +Nova Scotia saw him. It was about one +o’clock, and he was going strong. But he +was getting into a dangerous region, cold and +foggy. They had watchers looking for him +everywhere. Lindy left Nova Scotia at Cape +Breton, headed for Newfoundland. It was +pretty stiff going, about 200 miles without +sight of land, and over a pretty treacherous +sea. But at 7:15 they saw him flying low +over St. John’s, in Newfoundland. They +could see the number on the wings, and sent +back word to the world that he had passed +there. And that was the last word that anybody +received that Friday.</p> +<p>“The going had been pretty good until +then. The weather was clear, and the ceiling +pretty high. But as soon as it got dark, +Lindy and his plane hit some pretty bad +weather. It grew mighty cold, and a thick +swirling fog came up and swallowed up the +plane. This was mighty tough, because if +he flew low, he was bound to run into one +of the icebergs that were floating in the icy +sea. So he climbed up to about 10,000 feet, +and stayed there. Flying high was all right, +but it added another danger. Ice was forming +on the wings of the Spirit of St. Louis, and +if it got thick enough, it would break off +a wing of the plane, and send the plane and +Lindy into the sea.</p> +<p>“Lindy could have turned back, but he +didn’t. He kept right on, through fog and +sleet and rain. His motor never missed. It +was a good pal, and no wonder he included +it in his feat, and said later that ‘we crossed +the Atlantic.’</p> +<p>“When morning came, a whole flock of +cables came, too. It seems a whole lot of +ships had sighted Lindy’s plane, or somebody’s +plane, anywhere from 500 to 100 +miles off the coast of Ireland, where he was +headed. Nobody knew who to believe, but +at 10:00 o’clock came the real news, that +he was over a place called Valencia, Ireland.</p> +<p>“Lindy wondered where he was, himself. +Flying blind as he had, he didn’t know just +where he had come out. So he decided to +ask the first person he met. Now you can +imagine the air roads weren’t full of planes +flying to Ireland, and Lindy had to wait +until he sighted a fishing schooner. He +swooped low and shouted out, ‘Am I headed +for Ireland?’ The fishermen were so astounded +that they couldn’t answer, so Lindy +flew on his course, depending as he had all +night, on his compass. Pretty soon he came +in sight of land, and knew that it was Ireland.”</p> +<p>“Because it was so beautiful,” said Pat.</p> +<p>“No, because it was rocky, and his maps +indicated that the land would be rocky,” +said Bob.</p> +<p>“Oh, no doubt he could tell it was Ireland,” +insisted Pat. “His mother was Irish, +you know, and it needs mighty little Irish +blood to make a man long for the ould sod.”</p> +<p>“Well, anyway, there he was over Ireland,” +put in Bob, pointedly. “And from +Ireland, on to England, and from England, +on to France. Along the Seine, and then +Paris. They were waiting for him at Le +Bourget, and sent up flares and rockets, long +before he got there. Maybe they weren’t excited +when he flew into range! It was about +8:30, that is, French time, but about 5:30 +New York time, when Lindy and the Spirit +of St. Louis circled around the landing field +at Le Bourget and landed. Golly, I wish +I’d been there. The first man in the world +to fly the Atlantic, landing before my very +eyes! He’d gone 3,640 miles, and had made +it in 33½ hours. Some going!</p> +<p>“Well, he was there. And he got out of +the plane. And you all know what he said +when he got out. I—”</p> +<p>“I am Charles Lindbergh,” said Captain +Bill and Pat, not quite in unison.</p> +<p>“Yup,” said Bob, “‘I am Charles Lindbergh.’ +He thought that they wouldn’t know +who he was. He’d been flying pretty low +over Ireland and England, and so far as +he could see, nobody had paid much attention +to him. So he introduced himself, +just as though every man, woman and child +in every civilized country wasn’t saying that +very name all through the day. Remember +when we heard the news over the radio, +Hal? We were so excited we nearly upset +the furniture. Golly, that was a day.</p> +<p>“Well, that was Slim Lindbergh’s flight, +and now about Slim himself. He was born +in Detroit, Michigan, on February 2, 1902, +and that means that he was only twenty-five +years old when he made his greatest +flight, which is pretty young to become the +most famous man in the world.</p> +<p>“His dad was Charles A. Lindbergh, and +he died in 1924, when he was running for +governor of Minnesota on the Farmer-Labor +ticket. He’d been a Representative in Congress +before. Lindy and he were great pals, +and played around together a lot. Lindy’s +mother was Irish, and taught school in Detroit.</p> +<p>“Lindy went to school in Little Falls, and +to Little Falls High School. He graduated +from there when he was 16. He was good +in Math and in other things he liked, but +not in grammar.</p> +<p>“Lindy didn’t go right to college. In fact, +he didn’t go until three years after he’d graduated +from high school, and then he went to +the University of Wisconsin, to take up +mechanical engineering. He was good at +that. He’d always liked to tinker, and he +got his chance there. He did at college just +what you’d expect him to do. He had some +friends and acquaintances, but mostly he +kept to himself. He was the same quiet, shy +person that everybody got to know later, +when he became famous.</p> +<p>“Slim didn’t stay at Wisconsin very long, +so we don’t know what he would have finally +done there. He went over to Lincoln, +Nebraska, where they had a flying school, +and asked them to teach him to fly. They +taught him the beginnings of flying, and +from the moment his hands touched the controls, +he knew that this was what he was +cut out for. He just took naturally to +those levers and gadgets, and could handle +his plane like a toy.</p> +<p>“It seems that Lindy was born to be a +pilot. He’s built for one, in the first place. +Long and rangy, and slim. No extra weight, +but plenty of muscle and endurance. He’s +got a lot of nerve and never gets excited +He showed that when he got himself elected +to the Caterpillar Club. But I’ll get to that +later.” Here Bob paused, and looked up at +the sun, which was just slipping a little +westward. “Say,” he said. “Would you +folks mind if I continued my story later? +I feel just a little empty. How about the +food?”</p> +<p>“I’ve been thinking that for a long time,” +said the Captain. “But rules are rules. I +didn’t want to interrupt you.”</p> +<p>Bob snorted. “Say, for food you can interrupt +me any time. Let’s go.”</p> +<p>He jumped up, stretched himself, and +made for the car, to get out the huge hamper +of lunch. “Say,” he called back, “Lindy +may have been satisfied with five sandwiches +all the way to Paris, but darned if I couldn’t +eat five right now.” He carried the hamper +over to the knoll where the others were. +They were all standing now, limbering up, +stretching, sniffing the good air, and looking +eagerly toward the food.</p> +<p>“Here, lend a hand,” said Bob. He plumped +down the basket so that they could hear +the rattle of forks and tin cups within, and +sat down beside it.</p> +<p>“You’re the host,” said Hal, seating himself +comfortably on the grass and looking +on. “It’s your party. We have to listen +to your story, so the least you can do is +feed us.”</p> +<p>Bob had opened the hamper, and was viewing +its contents eagerly. He dived into the +basket. “Say, anybody who doesn’t help +himself, doesn’t eat. Fall to.”</p> +<p>They fell to, doing much eating but little +talking. Finally Bob sat back, a sandwich +in one hand, a cup of steaming coffee +out of the thermos bottle in the other. “I +have a suspicion,” he said, “that you don’t +like my story.”</p> +<p>“Don’t get ideas like that, Bob, my lad,” +said Pat. “We love your story. We just +like sandwiches better.”</p> +<p>“All right, then I won’t finish,” said Bob. +“I’m going to be independent.”</p> +<p>Hal looked up. “Not finish? You’ve got +finish any story you start.”</p> +<p>“One of the rules? There aren’t any rules. +You just made that up.”</p> +<p>Hal was cajoling now. “Aw, come on, +Bob. We want to hear the end. Come on, +tell us the rest.”</p> +<p>Bob bit into a huge slice of cake. He +shook his head. “Nope, no end.”</p> +<p>“Well, at least about the Caterpillar Club. +At least you’ll tell us how Lindy saved his +life by bailing out. We’ve got to hear that.”</p> +<p>But Bob was adamant. “I’ve been insulted. +I’m not going on. Anyway, Lindy +didn’t save his life once by bailing out of +a plane.”</p> +<p>“He didn’t? You said a little while ago +that he did.”</p> +<p>“I didn’t say once. He became eligible +to the Caterpillar Club four times.”</p> +<p>Hal looked at Bob with disgust. “I must +say that you’re being very disagreeable.”</p> +<p>Captain Bill, who had been looking on in +amusement, suddenly laughed very loudly. +“Don’t coax him, Hal. He doesn’t need +coaxing. He’s going to tell the rest of the +story, don’t you worry. Wild horses couldn’t +keep him from finishing the tale. Could +they, Bob, old man?”</p> +<p>Bob looked over at his uncle and grinned. +“Why, you old sinner. What a way to +talk about your favorite nephew. But now +that you mention it, maybe I did intend to +finish the story, seeing that I’d started it. +Now, where was I?”</p> +<p>Pat was clearing up the debris made by +four men eating a picnic lunch. “You’ve +got Lindbergh at the Nebraska flying school +for a long time.”</p> +<p>“Oh, not very long,” said Bob. “You see, +he stayed there really a short time. In fact, +he never did any solo flying there.”</p> +<p>“Well, why not?” asked Hal.</p> +<p>“They asked for a five-hundred dollar +bond from every student before he went up +on his first solo flight. This seemed silly to +Lindy, and he left the school.</p> +<p>“When he left, he did what so many of +the flyers were doing then. He went out +west, and did stunting, risking his neck at +county fairs and air circuses to give the people +a thrill. He did, too. He handled his +plane like a toy, doing rolls, tail spins, and +every kind of stunt imaginable. But the +most exciting thing that he did, and it usually +isn’t an exciting thing at all, was landing +his plane. He could land on a dime, and +as lightly as a feather. That’s really piloting, +isn’t it, Bill?”</p> +<p>“You bet,” said the Captain. He was +sprawled out on his back, enjoying his after +dinner rest. “A landing will show you your +flyer’s ability every time. Provided, of course, +that he has a fairly decent landing field. Did +I ever tell you the story that Hawks tells +in his autobiography? Do you mind if I +interrupt for just a minute, Bob?”</p> +<p>“Oh, no, go right ahead,” said Bob, witheringly. +“Go right ahead. I was just telling +a story.”</p> +<p>“Thanks,” said Captain Bill with a grin. +“I will. Well, it seems that Hawks was +stunting down in Mexico, and doing quite +a bit of private flying. He got a commission +to fly a Congressman and a General, +I think it was, back to their home town of +Huatemo. Have you ever heard of Huatemo? +I thought not. Well, Huatemo had +never seen an airplane close up, and the two +high muckamucks decided that they’d give +the natives a thrill by coming back via plane. +Hawks had them wire ahead to have a landing +field prepared. The native officials wired +that they had a fine field, clear of all obstructions, +but dotted with a few small trees. +‘Fine, says Hawks, but have them remove +the trees immediately.’ The natives said that +this had been done, and the party started out.</p> +<p>“After several adventures, Hawks flew +over Huatemo, and prepared to spiral down +to the landing field. Imagine his chagrin +and surprise, my dear boys, when he discovered, +that the officials of Huatemo had indeed +cut down the Huateman trees, but had left +the stumps standing!”</p> +<p>“Whew,” said Bob. “What did he do, +turn around?”</p> +<p>“No, he couldn’t. And anyway, there +was no other place to land. The field was +surrounded by dense forests. He had to +make it. He brought his plane down without +hitting a stump, and then zig-zagged +wildly from stump to stump like a croquet +ball trying to miss wickets. And he missed +them all, too, except one. The wheel hit it +an awful smack, and collapsed. The plane +tilted up on its nose, and came to rest with +its propeller in the ground and its tail waving +gayly in the air, not at all like a proper +plane should.”</p> +<p>“And killed them all,” said Pat.</p> +<p>“Who, Hawks? Not on your life. He’s +a lucky fellow. Not one of them was hurt. +They climbed out of the plane, and were +greeted by the natives, joyously and with +acclaim. And not one of the natives seemed +to suspect in the least that this wasn’t the +way a plane should land. Or at least the +way a crazy American would land a plane.” +The Captain finished his story, and paused.</p> +<p>“Well,” said Bob grudgingly, “that was +a good story, too. But, as I was saying, +Lindy was a good stunter, and a good flyer. +He decided that he wanted a plane of his +own. He heard that there was going to be +a sale of army planes down in Georgia, and +he went down and bought a Curtiss Jenny +with the money that he had saved from his +stunting work. He fixed it up, and was +soon off barnstorming again. But I guess +the Jenny was too clumsy a boat for Lindy. +He wanted to fly the newer, better planes +that the army had. So he joined the army’s +training school at Brook Field, San Antonio. +This was when he was 22 years old.</p> +<p>“I guess he got along pretty fine at San +Antonio, and he was sent down to the pursuit +school at Kelly Field. He joined the +Caterpillar Club there. It was the first time +that he had to jump from a moving plane +and get down with his parachute. I guess +it was a pretty close shave.”</p> +<p>“Gee, how did it happen?” said Hal, his +eyes wide.</p> +<p>“Wait a second, I’m coming to it,” said +Bob. “He and another officer were to go +up and attack another plane that they called +the enemy. It was a sort of problem they +had to work out. Well, Slim dove at the +enemy from the left, and the other fellow +from the right. The enemy plane pulled +up, but Lindy and the other officer kept +on going, dead toward each other. There +was an awful crack, and their wings locked. +The two planes began to spin around and +drop through the air. Lindy did the only +thing there was to do. He kept his head, +stepped out on one of the damaged wings, +and stepped off backwards. He didn’t pull +the rip-cord until he had fallen quite a way, +because he didn’t want the ships to fall on +him. When he’d gone far enough, he pulled +the cord, and floated gently down. That +was the first.”</p> +<p>“And the second?” said Hal.</p> +<p>“The second,” went on Bob, “happened in +1927, just about a year before Lindy flew +the Atlantic. He took a new type of plane +up to test her. He put her through all the +stunts that he could think of, and she stood +them all right. It seemed as though she +was going to come through the test O.K., +when Lindy put her into a tail spin. They +spiraled down for a while, and Lindy tried +to pull her out of it. She wouldn’t respond +and went completely out of control. Lindy +tugged and yanked at the controls, but he +couldn’t get that bus to go into a dive. He +did his best to save the ship, but it was no +use. He didn’t give up until they were +about 300 feet from the ground, which is +a mighty short distance to make a jump, if +you ask me. But Lindy made it, and +landed in somebody’s back yard, the wind knocked +out of him, but otherwise all right. That +was the second.”</p> +<p>“And the third?” asked Hal.</p> +<p>“We’re getting ahead of the story. In +fact, we’re ahead of the story already. Before +he made his second jump, Lindy had +joined the Missouri National Guard, and +was promoted to a Captaincy in the Reserve +and Flight Commander of the 110th Observation +Squadron. That’s how he got to be +a Captain, you know how he got to be a +Colonel.</p> +<p>“Then Lindy joined the Robertson Aircraft +Corporation, at St. Louis. While he +was with them, he helped map out the first +mail route from St. Louis to Chicago, and +was the first pilot to carry mail along this +route. Slim had a habit of starting things +off. He was the first to do a lot of things. +No sitting back and waiting for others to +start things. It was first or nothing for +him. Maybe it was his Viking ancestors, I +don’t know.</p> +<p>“It was while he was flying this route +that Lindy had his third initiation into the +Caterpillars. He took off one September +afternoon from Lambert Field, in St. Louis, +on his way to Maywood. Just outside of +Peoria a fog rolled in, so thick you could cut +it with a knife, Lindy could climb up over +it for flying, but he couldn’t land blind. He +dropped a flare, but it only lit up a cloud +bank. He saw lights, then, through the +fog, and knew that he was around Maywood, +but couldn’t get the exact location of +the field. He’d circled around for two hours, +when his engine sputtered and died. The +tank was dry. Lindy quickly turned on the +reserve gravity tank. There was twenty +minutes of flying in that tank, and Lindy +had to think fast.</p> +<p>“He tried flares again, but it was no use. +When he had just a few minutes of gas +left, he saw the glow of a town. He didn’t +want to take a chance on landing in a town +and killing somebody, so he headed for open +country. In a few minutes his engine died. +Lindy stepped out into the blind fog and +jumped. After falling a hundred feet, he +pulled the rip-cord, and left the rest to +chance. Every once in a while his ship appeared, +twirling away in spirals, the outside +of the circle about 300 yards away from +Lindy. He counted five spirals, and then +lost sight of the bus. He landed in a corn +field, shaken, of course, but all right. He +found his way to the farm house, and told +the farmer who he was. The farmer, who +had heard the crash of the plane as it smashed +to earth wouldn’t believe that this safe and +sound man was the pilot of it. Finally Lindy +convinced him, and they went in search +of the plane, which the farmer was sure had +landed close to his house. They found it +two miles away, looking not much like a +plane, but a heap of rubbish. The mail +wasn’t hurt. They got it to a train for +Chicago, and the mail went through. It always +does, you know.”</p> +<p>“Yup, it always does,” said Captain Bill.</p> +<p>“That reminds me of a story,” said Pat.</p> +<p>“Hold it,” said Bob. “I’ve got another +parachute for Lindy.”</p> +<p>“Fire away,” said Pat. “But remember +to remind me not to forget to tell you my +own story.”</p> +<p>“All right,” Bob put in. “Now the fourth +time Lindy jumped was not long before his +big flight. He was still flying for Robertson’s, +carrying mail to Chicago. Just south +of Peoria he ran into rain that changed to +snow. Lindy flew around, waiting for the +fog to lift, until he heard his motor sputter +and die. He was up about 13,000 feet when +he stepped out of the cockpit and jumped +into the air. He landed on a barbed wire +fence. Tore his shirt, but the plane was +pretty much of a wreck. He grabbed the +air mail; hurried to a train for Chicago, got +another plane, and flew the mail through. +A little late, but still, it got through. And +he didn’t bat an eye. Not one of the jumps +fazed him a bit.</p> +<p>“But it wasn’t as though Lindy jumped +at the slightest sign of anything going wrong. +He stayed with his plane until the very last +minute, doing everything he could to save +it. He hated worse than anything to have +a plane smashed up. Look how long he +stayed with that new plane he was testing +out—until he was just 300 feet above the +ground.</p> +<p>“Well, Lindy was one of the best mail pilots +that the Robertson corporation had, in +fact, he was their chief pilot. They could +depend on him to go out in weather that no +other pilot would think of bucking. He +didn’t show off. Just knew that he could +fly through anything, and he did.</p> +<p>“At this time there was a lot of excitement +in the air. Orteig was offering his $25,000 +prize for the first man to cross the Atlantic, +and there were a lot of aviators who +would have liked the prize, and were trying +for it. Of course, the money wasn’t the +whole thing. There was the honor attached +to it. And besides, there was the fact that +crossing the Atlantic would make people +sit up and take notice that flying wasn’t as +dangerous as they thought. If a man could +fly all that distance in a plane, maybe +planes weren’t the death traps that some people +had an idea they were. Lindy must have +been thinking of this when he first decided +that he’d like to try for the Orteig prize. Because +everything that he’s done since his flight +has been to get people interested in aviation.</p> +<p>“But it takes money to fly across the ocean. +You’ve got to get a special plane and all +that. Lindy had to have backers. He +couldn’t get them at first. Everybody tried +to discourage him. In the first place, he +looked such a kid. He was twenty-five, and +that’s young, but he didn’t even look +twenty-five. The men he asked to back him all +but told him to run home and wait until +he had grown up.</p> +<p>“Then Major Robertson, Lindy’s Big +Boss, tried to get backers for him. He knew +that Lindy could fly and finally got some influential +men to put up $15,000 for his +flight. Maybe Lindy wasn’t glad! He tucked +his check in his pocket and went on a +shopping trip for a plane. He tried the +Bellanca people in New York, but they +didn’t have what he wanted, so he skipped +to San Diego to the Ryan Airways, Inc., +and told them what he wanted. They put +their engineers to work on his specifications, +and designed him a Ryan monoplane, the +neat stream-lined job that was christened the +Spirit of St. Louis. It’s a graceful bird—but +you’ve all seen so many pictures of it, +you know what it looks like. It has a wing +span of 46 feet, and an overall length of +over 27 feet. They put in a Wright engine—a +Whirlwind, 200 horsepower. It’s a +radial engine. You two probably know what +a radial engine is, but Hal here doesn’t.” +Bob paused and turned to Hal. “Do you?”</p> +<p>“Uh-uh,” grunted Hal. “Do you?”</p> +<p>“Of course I do. It’s one in which the +cylinders aren’t in a straight line or in a V, +but arranged around an axis, like the spokes +of a wheel. Lindy’s plane had two spark +plugs for each cylinder, so that in case one +missed, there was another one ready. She +could carry 450 gallons of gas and twenty +gallons of oil, and she was loaded to the +gills when Lindy took her off the ground +at the Field.</p> +<p>“Suppose Lindy wasn’t anxious about +that plane. He hung around the factory +all the time that it was being built, and +made suggestions to help along Hawley Bowlus, +who built the thing. You know Hawley +Bowlus. The fellow who held the glider +record until Lindy took it away from him—but +that’s later. Bowlus knows how to +build planes, and Lindy swears by him.</p> +<p>“Well, they got the plane finished in 60 +days, which isn’t bad time. Out in New +York, Byrd and Chamberlin and the others +were getting ready to fly the Atlantic. It’s +wasn’t really a race to see who would be +first, but of course, there’s no doubt that +each one was anxious to be the first man +to cross the Atlantic. Because after all, +nobody likes to be second. So Lindy had to +get out to the east coast as fast as he could. +He could hardly wait for the plane to be +finished. But at last it was, and all the +equipment in place. Lindy climbed into the +cockpit to test her out. The cockpit was inclosed. +I don’t know whether I told that +before or not. Anyway, he could see out +little windows on each side, but he couldn’t +see ahead, or above him. So it was really +flying blind all the time, except for a sliding +periscope that he could pull in or out at the +side, in case he had to see straight ahead. +But Lindy doesn’t mind blind flying. He’s +a wonderful navigator.</p> +<p>“Well, Lindy turned over the motor of +his new plane, and it sounded sweet. He +hadn’t got it any more than off the ground +when he realized that this was the plane for +him. It responded to every touch, although +it was a heavy ship, and not much good +for stunting. But Lindy didn’t want to +stunt. He wanted to fly to Europe.</p> +<p>“It was on May 10, I think, that he +left San Diego. It was in the evening, not +quite six o’clock. The next morning, a +little after eight, he got into St. Louis. Took +him just a bit over fourteen hours, the whole +trip. It was the longest cross-country hop +that any one man had made up to that +time. His old pals at Lambert Field were +pretty glad to see him, and he spent the +night at his old stamping grounds. But he +didn’t stay long. Early in the morning he +got on his way, and made New York in +the afternoon, in not quite seven and a half +hours. Pretty flying.</p> +<p>“Nobody much had heard of Lindy until +he started from San Diego. Of course, he’d +been a dandy mail pilot, but they’re usually +unnamed heroes. Nobody hears about them, +and they never get their names in the paper +unless they crash. Not that they care. +They’ve got their jobs to do, and they do +them. But when Lindy flew that grand hop +from San Diego to St. Louis to New York, +people began to sit up and take notice. He +didn’t say much after he got to the Curtiss +Field.</p> +<p>“Out at Curtiss he spent his time seeing +that everything was ready, and all his instruments +O.K. He had a lot of confidence +in himself—he always has—but there was +no use in taking chances. In back of the +pilot’s seat was a collapsible rubber boat, that +he could blow up with two tanks of gas +that he carried with him. It had light oars, +and was supposed to be able to float him +for a week in case he decided suddenly to +come down in the middle of the Atlantic +instead of flying all the way across. Then +there were his regular instruments. He had +a tachometer, and an altimeter, an earth +inductor compass, a drift indicator, and—”</p> +<p>Captain Bill interrupted. “Just a minute, +just a minute. You say those things pretty +glibly. Do you know what they mean? +What’s a tachometer? Pat here doesn’t +know.”</p> +<p>Bob looked embarrassed. “Well, they’re all +pretty necessary instruments. I’ve been +meaning to look them up, that is, Gee, I +really ought to know, oughtn’t I?”</p> +<p>“You ought,” said the Captain severely. +“Do you mind if I interrupt your story for +just a minute and give you a few pointers? +This is mostly for you and Hal. You’ll +never be able to fly unless you understand +what the instruments on the dashboard are +for. Of course a lot of the old flyers, like +Patrick, here, flew just by instinct, and stuck +their heads out over the cockpit to see what +was happening. A real pilot nowadays, +though, can be sealed in his cockpit and +never see ahead of him from the time he +takes off until he lands, just so long as his +instruments are working. He can keep his +course over any country, no matter how +strange. You’ve got to know your instruments.”</p> +<p>“Well, tell us,” said Bob.</p> +<p>The Captain sat up. “I guess the first +thing that Lindy watched was the tachometer. +This is the instrument that shows the +number of revolutions per minute, or R.P.M.’s +that the engine is making. A flyer +must know how many R.P.M.’s his engine +must make to maintain a correct flying +speed, or he’ll go into a stall, which is bad. +I’ll tell you more about stalls later. The +altimeter registers the height at which the +plane is flying. It isn’t very accurate at +low altitudes, but it’s all right higher up. +You soon learn by the feel and the lay of +the land how high up you are. The exact +height doesn’t matter in ordinary flying, just +so that you keep a good altitude. Then +there’s that most important instrument, the +earth inductor compass. This is much more +accurate than a magnetic compass, and it +keeps the ship on its course. It operates in +regard to the electro-magnetic reactions of +the earth’s field, and directions are indicated +in reference to magnetic north. To steer by +this compass, you have to set your desired +heading on the controller, and then steer +to keep the indicator on zero. If you veer +to the left, the indicator will swing to the +left, and to keep on your course you must +bring your plane back to the right. When +he changes his course, the pilot consults his +maps and graphs, and makes a change in +the indicator of the compass.</p> +<p>“Then there is the air speed indicator, +which shows the speed of the plane in the +air. This is necessary so that the engine is +not over-speeded. A pilot never runs his +plane at full speed as a general thing, because +he’ll wear out his engine. He keeps +it at about 80 per cent of its potential speed, +which is a good safe margin.</p> +<p>“The turn and bank indicator also reads +from zero, and deviates from zero when the +plane dips. The bubble rides up to the +left when the plane banks right, and rides +up to the right when the plane banks left. +When the ship is again on an even keel, +the indicator goes back to zero. The pilot, +when he isn’t flying blind, can keep his plane +level by noticing the position of the radiator +cap or top of the engine in respect to the +horizon. But in a heavy fog, or if he can’t +see over his cockpit, the horizon doesn’t exist, +and a bank and turn indicator is his +instrument.</p> +<p>“The instruments that are no less important +than these are the oil gauge, the gasoline +pressure gauge, and the thermometer, which +shows whether the motor is overheating. If +the oil gauge shows that the oil is at a good +cool temperature, and the gasoline pressure +gauge shows that the gas pressure is up, +the pilot knows that his motor is running +nicely. The gas pressure gauge won’t tell +you how much gas you have left, though. +It’s always best to figure how much gas +you’re going to need on a trip, and then +take some over for emergencies. Most planes +also have an emergency tank, so that if one +tank gives out, the other can be switched +on, and will give the flyer time to maneuver +about until he finds a landing place.” +Captain Bill paused. “Well, those are your instruments. +I’ll probably have to explain +them all over to you again when the plane +comes, and I start to teach you to fly.”</p> +<p>“Oh, no, not to me, you won’t,” Bob said.</p> +<p>Hal sat quietly looking out over the valley +below, saying nothing. He had listened +intently to the Captain’s instructions, but +there was an odd expression on his face.</p> +<p>Finally Pat snorted. Bob and the others +jumped.</p> +<p>“Hi, what’s the idea. Is there a story being +told, or isn’t there a story being told? +Get on with you.”</p> +<p>“It’s no fault of mine, Patrick,” said +Bob, looking meaningly at the Captain, who +appeared as innocent as a lamb. “I’m always +being rudely interrupted. But I’ll go on. +Where was I?”</p> +<p>“The Lindbergh lad was at Curtiss Field, +waiting this long time to be off,” said Pat.</p> +<p>“Oh, yes. Well, when he got word that +the weather was O.K., he got his sandwiches, +his canteens of water, and started +off on the greatest flight in aviation history. +And I’ve told you about that.”</p> +<p>“We seem to be right back where we +started from,” the Captain said. “Is that +the end of your story?”</p> +<p>Bob laughed. “By no means. You’ve +got a lot to hear yet. What do you suppose +I’ve been collecting dope for all these weeks? +I’ve got a lot to tell you. Lindy wasn’t +satisfied with one great trip. He’s been flying +since, and has made some pretty important +jaunts. Things happened to him after +he got back to America loaded down with +about every kind of medal that one man can +get. And I’m going to tell you all of them.”</p> +<p>“I suppose we’ll have to listen. It’s part +of the game,” Pat said. “But not now, +my lad.” He rose stiffly from the grass. +“You’re mother will be looking for us, and +wondering what’s become of us. We’d better +get for home.”</p> +<p>“How about continuing in the next issue?” +laughed the Captain.</p> +<p>“O.K.” said Bob. “You get the rest of +it tonight, whether you like it or not.”</p> +<p>Hal looked up fervently at Bob. “Oh, we +like it, Bob. I think it’s a great story. A +great story.” The boy’s eyes shown in his +pale face. “Golly, Bob, it must be wonderful +to be able to do things like that.”</p> +<p>Bob looked uncomfortable as they walked +over to the car. “Well, kid, I don’t see +why anybody can’t do great things if he’s got +grit enough. That’s what it takes—Grit.”</p> +</div> +<hr class="docutils" /> +<div class="section" id="chapter-vimore-about-the-eagle"> +<h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id6">CHAPTER VI—More About The Eagle</a></h1> +<p>It was after dinner at the Martin’s. Captain +Bill, Pat, and the two boys had gone +out to the garden. The Captain and Bob +were stretched out in two deck chairs, the +Captain’s long legs sticking out a long way +past the end of the low foot-rest. Pat lay +in the glider, swinging himself lazily, squeaking +in a melancholy rhythm at each forward +and back push, Hal, who had got permission +from his mother to eat dinner with the +Martin’s, lay on a rug thrown down on the +grass. The dusk was turning to dark, and +the Captain’s pipe was beginning to show +up as a dull glow in the fading light.</p> +<p>For a while nobody spoke. Then Pat +said, “Well, Robert, tell us the end of your +story.”</p> +<p>“I’ve been thinking of where to start. We +left Lindy over in Europe, coming back to +the United States. He didn’t come right +back, though. He had to tour about some +of the foreign countries, as an ambassador +of good will, and get decorated with about +every kind of medal that was ever made. It +must have been pretty boring for him to go +to banquet after banquet, and listen to all +those speeches praising him. He must have +blushed like anything at some of those flowery +compliments. But he stayed calm, and +didn’t lose his head and get all swelled up +over the receptions and cheers and everything. +He knew that everybody meant every word +he said, and that they were mighty pleased +with him. They gave him all sorts of presents. +He could have started a store with +them. But I guess that most of them are +in the Lindbergh museum now.</p> +<p>“Well, the honors they heaped on Lindy +in France and England and Belgium were +nothing to what was waiting for him when +he got back to the United States. New +York turned out, it seemed, to a man. They +had a parade miles long, with Lindy the +chief attraction, sitting on top of an open +car, smiling at the mobs of screaming, shouting +people all along the way. It rained ticker +tape for hours, and people in offices tore +up telephone books and added the bits of +paper to the rainstorm. Nobody could do +enough for the Colonel.” Bob looked around +at the group. “He wasn’t the Captain any +more,” he explained. “He was now Colonel +Lindbergh. Well, anyway, there were banquets +and parties, until Lindy had to leave. +St. Louis started where New York left +off. After all it was St. Louis where Lindy +had found his backers, and naturally they +were pretty proud of him there. Slim took +it all smiling, just as modest as he’d been +from the beginning. There was no fussing +him. And the people loved it. Slim was +the most talked-about hero the United States +has ever adopted. Why, you remember that +almost everything from candy-bars to swimming +suits were named after him—and a +whole lot of new babies, too. All the kids +in America were crazy about him, and they +all wore aviator’s helmets and made plans to +become aviators as soon as they were old +enough. It seems that Lindy’s plan was +pretty successful. He wanted to get people +to talking and thinking about airplanes, and +believe me, they didn’t talk or think about +much else from the time he set out from +Roosevelt field.”</p> +<p>“You’d think that he’d be tired and ready +for a rest after his flight, and his receptions, +but even though he may have been tired, +he thought he’d strike while the iron was +hot, and follow up his good work, this +business of getting people aviation conscious. +And I guess, too, he felt that he owed something +to the people of the United States for +being so kind to him, so Lindy set out on +a trip around the country. He stopped at almost +every important city, and covered every +state in the union. He traveled almost 20,000 +miles. And that’s some traveling. Just +think if he’d had to travel that distance +in a train! He’d be going yet. Well, every +place that he stopped gave him three rousing +cheers, and then some. You’d think +that by that time he’d be pretty tired. If it +had been me, I’d have turned around and bitten +some of the welcoming committee. But +not Lindy. He stuck it out, and smiled at +them all.</p> +<p>“And after the country-wide tour was +over, he took his Mexican and Central American +and South American trip. It was this +trip that clinched his name of ‘Good Will +Ambassador,’ although he’d been one to all +of the European countries that he went to. +In December, seven months after his famous +flight, he pointed the nose of the old Spirit +of St. Louis south, and lit out for Mexico +City.</p> +<p>“They were pretty anxious to see him +down there, and the Mexican National aviation +field was crowded long before Lindy +was due to get there. Everybody knew that +this was one flyer who always got places +when he said he’d get there. He was never +off schedule. So imagine how everybody felt +when the time set by him to reach Mexico +City passed, and no Lindy showed up. Well, +they were all set to call out the reserves, when +Slim Lindbergh winged into sight, and made +a sweet landing on the Mexican field.</p> +<p>“There was some cheering—more, maybe +than if he’d got there on schedule, although +you don’t see how that could be +possible. They gave Lindy a chance to explain +that he’d been lost in the fog, and then they +went on with their entertaining and celebrating.</p> +<p>“Mexico City was pretty important to +Lindbergh, although nobody knew it then. +Dwight Morrow was Ambassador to Mexico +then, and he had a daughter named Anne. +Well, I don’t like to get sentimental—I guess +I can’t tell romantic stories—well, anyway, +that part comes later.”</p> +<p>Captain Bill saw fit to interrupt the story +here. He saw that Bob was embarrassed, +and saw an opportunity to rub it in. “What +part?” he asked, innocently, knocking the +heel of ash from his pipe as he did so.</p> +<p>“Oh, you know, Lindy’s marrying Anne +Morrow, and that.”</p> +<p>“Well, we certainly demand the whole +thing. You can’t leave anything out,” insisted +Bill.</p> +<p>“Aw, all right, but it doesn’t come in +now.”</p> +<p>“We can wait,” said Bill, and settled back +satisfied.</p> +<p>“From Mexico City,” went on Bob, grateful +that his ordeal bad been put off, “Lindy +flew off down to Central America. First +he zig-zagged a bit to get in all of the little +countries, and went from Guatemala City +to Belize in British Honduras, and then +back again to San Salvador, and from then +on straight down the narrow isthmus to +Teguci—Teguci—well, that place in Honduras.”</p> +<p>“Tegucigalpa,” said Pat.</p> +<p>“That’s it,” said Bob. “And from Teguci—and +from there, he went on to Managua, +and then to Costa Rica—San Jose. +Now he was just about three hundred and +twenty-five miles from the Panama Canal, +as the crow flies—or rather, as Lindy flies, +which is much better than any crow I’ve +ever seen. He didn’t have any trouble making +the flight, and say that they weren’t glad +to see him down there, especially in the +Canal Zone, where the Americans lived. +They entertained him royally, and he went +into the jungles of Panama for a hunting +trip, which must have been great. They +have all sorts of wild hogs, deer and pheasants, +and it must have made grand hunting.</p> +<p>“But after all, Lindy couldn’t stay +anyplace very long. South America was waiting +for him. So he packed himself off, and +flew to Cartagena, in Colombia, adding another +continent to his list. From Cartagena +he flew to Bogota, and then straight across +the top of South America to the east coast. +He stayed at Maracay, Venezuela. I never +heard of it before, did any of you?” Bob +paused dramatically for a reply.</p> +<p>There was only a dead silence for a second, +and then, since none else spoke, Hal +felt called upon to confess his ignorance, “I +never did,” he said. “And gee, Bob, how +do you remember all these places that Lindbergh +stopped at? I never would in a hundred +years.”</p> +<p>“Oh, it’s easy,” said Bob airily. He did +not tell them of the long hours that he had +spent memorizing the towns and cities that +Lindbergh had stopped at in his good will +tour, nor the hundreds of times that he had +wished that Lindy had flown to some easy +place like Canada, where the names were all +pronounceable. But then, Lindy might have +flown to Wales, and Bob, having seen Welsh +names, thanked his lucky stars for such +places as Tegucigalpa and Bogota. And +now, having at least impressed Hal, he went +on with renewed enthusiasm.</p> +<p>“Maracay,” he said, “was the jumping +off place for the thousand-mile jump to the +Virgin Islands. You see, Lindy was on his +way back to the United States. He hopped +from island to island in the Caribbean Sea, +stopping at San Juan, Porto Rico; Santo +Domingo; Port-au-Prince in Hayti; and +then to Havana. From Havana he made the +biggest hop of all, and landed smack in St. +Louis without sitting down once along the +way. He made some twelve hundred miles +in about fifteen and a half hours.</p> +<p>“Somebody figured up how long he had +flown, and how long he took for the whole +‘good will’ trip, and found out that he’d +made sixteen flights to fifteen countries, and +had gone 8,235 miles in one hundred and a +half hours. Of course, that was actual flying +time. The trip had taken him just two +months, because he got back to St. Louis on +February 13th, and he’d left Boiling Field at +Washington on December 13th. But in +those two months Lindy accomplished a +great deal. He’d made friends with all the +little countries down to our south, and with +Mexico, too. They understood us better, +and we got to understand them better. Gee, +wouldn’t it be great if airplanes would +make people friendlier? I mean, we’re so +close to each other now, it seems as though +we ought to know more about each other, +and like each other better. I may not be +saying that so well, but you fellows know +what I mean, don’t you?”</p> +<p>“That’s a very good philosophy,” said +Captain Bill, and Bob beamed as broadly +as the moon that had risen over the trees +and was shining over the little group in the +garden. “Let’s hope that you’re right.”</p> +<p>“Well, Lindy palled around with his old +buddies at St. Louis, and carried mail over +his old route to Chicago. He broke up his +flights with going to New York to get a +medal from the Woodrow Wilson Foundation +for international peace and understanding, +and then he went to Washington to get +the Congressional Medal of Honor. And +he had to get a new plane, too, from the +Mahoney people who made the Spirit of St. +Louis. I guess Lindy hated to part from the +old bus. It was still in great condition, +even though he’d flown 40,000 miles in it. +But they wanted to put it in the Smithsonian +Institution, and he had to get another.</p> +<p>“It was just about this time, in April +of 1928, that Lindbergh had to put his +flying to a stiff test. He was in St. Louis +when he learned that Floyd Bennett was +very sick with pneumonia up in Quebec. +Bennett was a great fellow, one of the most +popular aviators of his time. He’d flown +with Byrd to the North Pole, you remember. +And in April, although he was sick, +and knew he shouldn’t have gone, he flew +up to help Captain Koebl and Major Fitzmaurice +and Baron von Huenefeld, who’d +flown across the Atlantic, and were forced +down off the coast of Labrador. Well, he +landed with pneumonia in a Quebec hospital, +and they needed some serum in a hurry +to save his life. Lindy offered to fly with +it, and took off right away for New York. +It was 500 miles from New York to Quebec, +mostly through fog and snow, and blizzards, +but Lindy made it in three hours and +thirty-five minutes. The serum didn’t save +Floyd Bennett, though. That plucky scout +died the day after Lindbergh got there. He’d +put up a great fight, but it was no use. The +whole country felt gloomy over his death, +and Lindy especially so, although he’d done +his best to save his pal’s life.</p> +<p>“In June of that year, that is, in 1928, +Lindy,—maybe I should call him Charles +Augustus Lindbergh, was appointed the +chairman of the technical committee of the +Transcontinental Air Transport, the company +sending planes cross-country. This +gave him the chance to be right in on the +ground—or rather right in the air—of aviation +progress. It wasn’t just an office job, +either, because Lindy flew almost as much +after his appointment as before.</p> +<p>“In 1929 he kept right on flying. That’s +not really news. If Lindy stopped flying, +that would be news. But in February of +’29 he flew the first mail from Miami to +Colon, in the Panama Canal Zone. This +was the inauguration of the Pan-American +Airways.</p> +<p>“In February the Morrows announced +the engagement of Anne Morrow to Charles +Augustus Lindbergh. From then on the +reporters and photographers hung around +in order to be in at the wedding. But Lindy +and Anne fooled them. They were married +in April, and nobody knew anything about +it. They just got quietly married, and left +on their honeymoon in a yacht.</p> +<p>“From then on, whenever Lindy went on +a trip, Anne Lindbergh went with him. +She’s a great flyer, and helps Lindy fly on +long stretches. She pilots while he rests.</p> +<p>“The first long trip they took was in ’29. +That was the one through Central America +to Belize, in British Honduras. That covered +7,000 miles. But they didn’t stop long +at Belize. They’d gone there for a reason. +They headed their plane over the +Yucatan peninsula, looking for Mayan +ruins. You know, the Mayan Indians had +a wonderful civilization all built up long +before the white men came to Yucatan. +They had a huge empire, and big cities with +buildings as large as ours. Scientists are always +digging around down there to uncover +the ruins, so that they can find out +about the Indians, and how they lived, and +all that. But it’s hard to find the places +where the Maya Indians had their cities. +The jungle has grown up so thickly all +about them that it takes days and months +to get to them. And those that aren’t on +rivers are almost impossible to get to.</p> +<p>“So Lindy proved once more that the airplane +was a help to science, and flew over +the old Mayan hang-outs, looking for ruins. +He skimmed his plane over the tops of the +jungles, so low that it seemed he might almost +reach out his hand and grab a branch +of one of those giant trees that grow down +there, and he flew slowly, too, so that the +scientists that were with him could take +pictures.</p> +<p>“They found what they were after, three +cities that hadn’t ever been discovered before. +And it took only four days, where +it might have taken a party on foot months +to do the same thing. Anne Lindbergh +helped pilot the plane, and take pictures, +too.</p> +<p>“There weren’t any more exciting flights +that year, but early the next year, that is, +in 1930, Lindy ordered a new plane. It +was a Lockheed-Sirius, a monoplane with a +Wasp motor. It had a flattish-looking nose, +but it was graceful just the same. It had +something new that Lindy had designed +himself. That was two covers that could +be slid over the cockpits, so that the pilots +would be protected in bad weather.</p> +<p>“Lindy and Anne had a use for the plane +and the cockpit covers very soon. They +flew across the country one day and broke +the cross-country speed record that existed +then.</p> +<p>“Hardly anybody knew what they were +up to, and there were just a few people at +the Glendale airport, where they started +from. It was a terrible day, cold and rainy, +and the sun hadn’t come up yet to dry things +out. But the Lindberghs didn’t care. They +had on suits heated by electricity, because +they knew that it was going to be even +colder where they were going.</p> +<p>“A basket of sandwiches, 400 gallons of +gas, and they were ready. It was hard taking +off, because the load was heavy, but +Lindy got his flat-nosed Sirius into the air +beautifully, and they disappeared from +sight. Disappeared is the word, because for +hours nobody saw them. They were looking +for them, too, because you can bet on +it that as soon as the Lindberghs took off, +everybody knew about it. All over the west +the cowboys and Indians were gaping up to +see the blunt-nosed plane, but nobody saw +it.</p> +<p>“Then suddenly Anne and Lindy dropped +out of the sky at Wichita, Kansas, said hello, +they’d like some gas, they’d be in New +York about eleven, and sailed off.</p> +<p>“They were in New York around eleven, +too, and New York was waiting for them, +with auto horns, and whistles, and all the +other noise that it can make for people who +have gone out and done things. The Lindberghs +certainly had done just that. They’d +come across the country with one stop in 14 +hours and twenty-three minutes and some +seconds, and had clipped two and a half +hours off the record then standing.”</p> +<p>“But what happened out’ west?” asked +Hal. “Why hadn’t anybody seen them?”</p> +<p>“Because you can’t see 10,000 feet into the +air, and that’s where the Lindberghs were +flying. Way above the clouds, from 10,000 +to 15,000 feet high, flying blind, with +the cockpits closed to keep out the cold. It’s +mighty cold 15,000 feet up in the air. Flying +blind that way, they had to depend upon +their sextant to keep their course, and +Anne Lindbergh did her part by using this. +She did all the navigating from the back +cockpit, and took the controls part of the +time when Lindy rested.</p> +<p>“Lindy and Anne hadn’t intended to set +a record. At least, that wasn’t what they +set out to do. They wanted to test out flying +at high altitudes, because Lindy believes +that planes in the future will fly high to +avoid storms and wind, and that blind flying +should be encouraged. That’s why they +flew so high up, out of sight of all landmarks.</p> +<p>“There was no flying for Anne and Lindy +after that for a while, because in June that +year little Lindy was born. It seems awfully +sad now to talk about all the excitement +not only in this country, but all over +the world when that baby was born. Lindy +was the world’s hero, and his baby was +adopted by everybody just as Lindy had +been. Nobody could have dreamed what a +terrible end the Lindbergh baby would come +to.”</p> +<p>Bob paused. The events of the Lindbergh +baby’s kidnapping, and the finding of +its body a few months later, after the whole +world had searched for it, were still fresh. +In fact, they were too fresh for Bob to talk +about then, and with the silent consent of all +the men there, he passed over the horrible +details of the case, and in a few moments +went on with his story.</p> +<p>“The Lindberghs have another baby boy +now and everybody in the country will protect +this child. People all over the world +were heartbroken at the death of their first +baby.</p> +<p>“It was when the baby was a year old, +and didn’t require so much attention, that +Anne and Lindy started out on their longest +trip, the flight across the Pacific to China and +Japan. That was in July of 1931. There +was some delay in choosing the route, because +they had to consider all sorts of things, +like chances for refueling, and over-water +flying distances, but finally they decided +that they’d fly across Canada to Point Barrow, +in Alaska, and from there to Nome; +then across the Ocean to Karaginsk, from +there to Nemuro, and on to Tokyo.”</p> +<p>Captain Bill broke in. “Good for you +for remembering that. Did you memorize +the route?”</p> +<p>“I did,” said Bob proudly. “I even drew +a map of it. They flew roughly northwest, +and then south again, making the two sides +of a triangle, with the point up at the top +of Alaska.</p> +<p>“Well, the Lindberghs made their usual +careful preparations. They needed more +than a ham sandwich for this trip. The +plane they chose was a low-winged Lockheed +Sirius with a Wright Whirlwind motor. +It was a blunt-nosed ship, painted reddish +orange and black. And since they were +traveling over water, it had to be equipped +with floats. These were a new kind of Edo +float, which were grooved on at the bottom +to make for less resistance of the water.</p> +<p>“In the tail of the plane they had a pretty +complete emergency kit, which would pop +out automatically if the plane went under. +It had a folding life boat in it, that they +could fill from a bottle of compressed air. +It was pretty smooth, with a mast and sail +and everything, and though they didn’t; +have to use it, it was a mighty nice thing to +have along in case they sat down in the +middle of the ocean. Then, of course, they +had food and water, and an emergency +radio set, besides the one that Anne +Lindbergh was going to use. This emergency +one was ready for anything. You couldn’t +hurt it by getting it wet, or by dropping it. +In fact, they tested it by dropping it from a +hangar, and then soaking it in water for 24 +hours. I wouldn’t want anybody to do that +to my radio set, but I guess nothing much +happened, because the tough radio survived +its tests, and went along with the Lindberghs +to China. The rest of their equipment +included fifty pounds of food, five +canteens of water, blankets, and all that sort +of thing.</p> +<p>“On July 27th, Anne and Lindy started +out. Washington was their first stop, to +make the first leg official. From there they +went to New York, bound for Maine, to say +goodbye to the baby. But there was trouble +right at the start. About two hours after +they had left New York, the Lindberghs had +to turn back again. Somebody had tampered +with their radio, and put it out of +working order. But this was fixed up all +right, and they started out again. They got +to North Haven, Maine, in about three and +a half hours.</p> +<p>“After spending some time at North +Haven with Anne’s parents and the baby, they +left for Ottawa, and from Ottawa for +Moose Factory. Just out of Ontario, +though, they disappeared. The newspapers +ran big headlines, ‘Lindberghs Missing.’ But +they weren’t really missing. That is, the +Lindberghs knew all along where they were, +but their radio was out of order, and they +couldn’t tell anybody else. Pilots were sent +out to search for them, and Pilot Clegg +found them in Moose Factory, safe and +sound.</p> +<p>“Moose Factory sounds awfully funny, +doesn’t it? I’d never heard of it, before the +Lindberghs landed there, but it’s quite a +place. All one hundred of its people came +out to cheer the flyers.</p> +<p>“On Sunday morning they left Moose +Factory, for their 750 mile jump to Churchill +Harbor, in Manitoba. The weather +wasn’t very good for flying—gray and +stormy, and the country was gray and flat. +All in all, it wasn’t a very pleasant leg of +their journey, and there was almost nine +hours of it. I’ll bet they were glad when +they flew into Churchill Harbor, and saw the +whole town waiting for them. There were +only 2,000 people in the town, but then, +that probably looked like a pretty big crowd +after all that flying over country without +seeing anybody or anything. And those +2,000 made up for it by being awfully +noisy.</p> +<p>“Baker Lake is 375 miles from Churchill, +and that was the next stop. Just three and +a quarter hours after they’d left Churchill +Harbor, they got into Baker Lake. Everybody +was waiting for them, and everybody +in this case was made up of Eskimos. There +are only about six white people in the whole +place, but they were out, too, and took +charge of the Lindberghs when they landed +that night. So far so good.</p> +<p>“The Lockheed up to now was working +perfectly—the trip was going off as scheduled—just +as all of Slim’s trips go off as +scheduled. From Baker Lake the going was +to be harder. The next stop was Aklavik, +on the MacKenzie River. Aklavik is pretty +far north, just about 130 miles within the +Arctic Circle, and the route called for a +jump of over 1,000 miles across this cold +country. But Slim and Anne made it. They +did that 1,000 miles in eleven and a half +hours, which was some going. They had +the Aurora Borealis with them, because the +farther north they went, the brighter the +lights grew, and flying at night was as easy +as flying by day.</p> +<p>“Aklavik may be cold, but it was warm +to the Lindberghs. Slim and Anne saw a lot +of things they’d never seen before, and they +had what you’d call their first real taste of +the arctic. There were all the people you +read about up there—Mounties, and Eskimos +and fur trappers, who’d trekked in +from miles around to see the Lindberghs +land. Eskimo kids trailed them around and +grinned when they were spoken to.</p> +<p>“They had a lot of time to look around, +too, because they had to stay at Aklavik for +three days. The weather grounded them, +but on August 7th, the sky cleared, and they +were off again, now for Point Barrow. Nome +was next. But before they got to Nome +there was trouble.</p> +<p>“They’d started out from the Point in the +morning, and flew all day. All they saw +was packed ice for miles around. A thick +fog was raising. Finally at 11 o’clock that +night the fog grew so thick that the Colonel +and his wife thought it would be best just +to sit down and wait for the fog to clear. +So that’s what they did. They sat down in +Shismaref Bay, on Kotzebue Sound.”</p> +<p>At this point Bob paused significantly, +and waited. He had pronounced both +words without hesitation of any kind, and +he was waiting for the praise that he felt +was due him. There was a strange silence. +So Bob said again: “They sat down on +Shismaref Bay, on Kotzebue Sound.”</p> +<p>This time Captain Bill realized what was +required of him. “Good work,” he said +“You got them both without a slip.”</p> +<p>Now Bob could go on. “They sat +down,” he began.</p> +<p>“That they did,” interrupted Pat. “They +sat down on Shismaref Bay on Kotzebue +Sound. What heathen names. But we’ve +heard them, and get on with you, lad.”</p> +<p>“I am,” said Bob, and got on. “They had +to wait for ten hours for the fog to lift, and +it must have been mighty uncomfortable in +the cockpits of their planes. When they +finally did get started, they found that they +couldn’t get to Nome after all. The fog +drifted up again, and they had to come +down—”</p> +<p>Pat broke the silence with a mighty exclamation. +“Not on Shismaref Bay!”</p> +<p>Bob was cold. “Of course not. This time +they came down on Safety Bay, and please +don’t interrupt.”</p> +<p>But there was another interruption, this +time from Hal. “Where’s Safety Bay?” he +asked.</p> +<p>Bob stretched out comfortably. He was +satisfied with himself and his story. “I don’t +know whether you’re just trying to test me, +or not,” he said, “but I’m prepared for you. +I’ve been over every inch of the Lindbergh +trip with an atlas, and I know where everything +is located, and how to pronounce it.”</p> +<p>Hal, his pale face lighted up by the moonlight, +was obviously impressed, and his large +eyes beamed in the light. He was storing up +notes for his own story that was to come +later.</p> +<p>“Safety Bay,” said Bob, “is twenty-one +miles from Nome, and mid-way between +Nome and Solomon Beach. They call it +Safety Bay because fishermen caught in +storms out at sea used to come in to the bay +for safety. It was a ‘safety bay’ for the +Lindberghs, too, all right. They waited for +the fog to lift again, and they finally got +to Nome. Nome had been waiting so long +for them that it gave them a right royal welcome.</p> +<p>“Nome was an important stop, because +the Lindberghs planned to use this as their +jumping off place for the hop across the Pacific +Ocean to Karagin Island, off the Kamchatkan +Peninsula. The Pacific has been +crossed before, and was crossed later, too, by +Herndon and Pangborn. But it’s a tricky +place to cross, especially in the northerly part, +where the Lindberghs were to cross. It’s a +place of fog and ice, and quickly changing +wind currents, so that a fog can creep up on +you and blot out the world in a split second.</p> +<p>“Well, this was the ocean that the Lindberghs +were going to cross. And they crossed +it. On Friday, August 14th, they started +out. They were the first to cross by that +route, blazing a new aviation trail. For half +an hour there was silence. Then the St. Paul +Naval station in the Pribiloffs made the first +radio contact. Anne Lindbergh signaled +that everything was all right, the weather +was good, and the flying fine. Every half +hour the station sent out signals, and gave +directions, because up north there, so near +the magnetic pole, a regular compass is +thrown way off.</p> +<p>“St. Lawrence Island was the first land +in their path; then from St. Lawrence to +Cape Naverin the route was over water +again, about 250 miles. Finally the radio +operator got the message that they’d sighted +Cape Naverin, and that everything was O. +K. They got to Karagin Island early in the +morning. And that means they flew over +1,000 miles in less than 11 hours. Which +is some flying over that treacherous route.</p> +<p>“The Lindys stayed at the Island for just +a little while to rest up, and then took off +for the southern end of the Kamchatkan +Peninsula, for Petro—Petro—” Bob paused, +embarrassed. “Say, what’s the name of that +place at the southern end?” he asked.</p> +<p>Bill felt called upon to answer. “Petropavlovsk,” +he said.</p> +<p>Bob tried it. “Petro—Petro-what?”</p> +<p>“Petropavlovsk,” repeated Bill.</p> +<p>They all tried it then, with varying degrees +of success. Finally Bob got it. +“Petropavlovsk,” he said proudly, and was able +to go on with his story. “It was an easy +flight, and they made it in about four hours. +But Nemuro was next.</p> +<p>“Nemuro’s on the tip of Hokkaido Island, +and to reach it the Lindberghs had to fly +across the Kurile Islands, the worst fog trap +in the world. There’s a warm Japanese +ocean current that flows up here and hits the +cold arctic blasts, so that there are sudden +fogs that you can’t possibly see through. +And besides, there are volcanic peaks that +stick their peaks up but of the water. Some +are dead and some are alive, but they’re all +pretty bad news for an airplane if it happens +to come in contact with one of them.</p> +<p>“The start was pretty good. The sky +was clear, and the visibility good. But they +should have known better than to trust such +luck. They’d been out about 500 miles +when a thick blanket of fog came up from +nowhere and wrapped them around. A +minute before they’d been able to see Muroton +Bay, but when they turned back, it had +disappeared. There were two things for +them to do, and neither one pleasant. They +could either fly on in the fog, and risk +hitting a peak or losing their course, or land +in the water. This was hardly better than +going on, because the currents are very +dangerous around there, and their plane +might easily be capsized. But they decided +that it was better to land. They landed on +the sheltered side of a place called Ketoi Island, +and put their radio to work sending +out an S.O.S.</p> +<p>“It didn’t take long for somebody to get +to them. The Japanese government ordered +two ships to Ketoi to help them. One was +the Shimushiru, and it stood by all night, +while the Lindberghs spent the night doubled +up in the cockpit of their plane. They stood +by because of the danger. You see, the island +is pretty wild, and is inhabited by Hairy +Ainus, who live in caves. They’re white +people, and they’re supposed to have lived +all over Japan once, but they’re not very +pleasant to have around, especially if you’re +unprotected. But with the Japanese ship +standing by, the Lindberghs were safe.</p> +<p>“In the morning the ship towed the Lockheed +Sirius to Muroton Bay, and while it +was sort of quiet, Lindy fixed up a wet spark +plug and they were ship-shape again, and +raring to go. But the fog wouldn’t lift. +Finally it seemed to lift, and they started +off.</p> +<p>“When they got to the island of Iturup +a thick fog came up from nowhere and +cut off their visibility again. Then a radio +message told them that the safest place +to land was at Shana, so at Shana they +landed. And at Shana they stayed, too, +grounded by the fog. But finally the fog +lifted, and they were able to get to Nemuro.</p> +<p>“Tokyo next. And Tokyo was glad to +see them! There were over 30,000 people +at the airport when they landed. The Lindys +were just as popular as ever, and just +as much the good will ambassadors as ever. +They were taken all over Tokyo, ate with +chopsticks, lived through a little earthquake, +and did as the Japanese did generally.</p> +<p>“Lindbergh told the Japanese people what +he had set out to do, and that he hoped that +there’d be a regular airplane route between +Japan and the United States. He said that +he thought the route would be from the +north, too, but a little south of the one +that he and Anne had taken.</p> +<p>“Japan liked the Lindberghs, but they had +to leave, bound for China. That was in +September. Japan and China hadn’t decided +yet to go to war, but things were pretty bad +in China, anyway. The Yangtze Kiang +and the Hwai river had overflowed and +flooded hundreds of villages and cities. Together +they’d covered about 1,000 square +miles of land, so you can imagine in what +sort of condition China was then. Everything +that goes with flood had come to China +too, including starvation and disease. The +Relief Committee was doing all that it could +to help the inland people, but it couldn’t +do much, because there was no way of communicating +with them, and of finding out +who needed aid, and what towns had been +flooded.</p> +<p>“As soon as Lindy landed in Nanking, +he volunteered to help the Chinese government +by making surveys of the flooded land. +The government accepted his offer, and Lindy +flew over the country, making reports +of districts that were under water. He found +a lot of places that no one knew about, and +did wonderful work. At one place he landed +on the water in a village that was completely +covered. He had a doctor and +medical supplies with him, but the poor Chinese +thought that he had brought food. They +paddled over to the plane, grabbed the supplies +and tore them to shreds, looking for +something to eat. Lindy and the doctors +took off as soon as they possibly could. As +a result of this, Lindy advised that all supplies +should be brought by armed guards, +and that food was the most urgent need +at the moment. Because of the good work +that he did, the President of China gave +Lindy another medal to add to his collection, +the Chinese Aviation Medal.</p> +<p>“In October the Lindbergh’s trip was suddenly +cut short, in the first place, by an accident +that might have proved pretty serious. +The Colonel, Anne, and a doctor were setting +out for a survey of the Tungting Lake +district, and were to take off in the Yangtze. +But just as they were about to leave the +water the current caught one of the wings, +and it crumpled up. The plane turned over, +and threw them all into the river. They +were all weighed down by their heavy suits, +and could easily have drowned, but they +were pulled out of the water. The Lockheed +was pulled up on board a British carrier, +and Anne and Lindy decided to go to Shanghai +with it and wait while it was being repaired.</p> +<p>“While they were on board the Hermes, +the aircraft carrier, they got word that +Dwight Morrow, Anne’s father, had died. +This meant that their trip was over, since +they had to get back to the United States +as quickly as possible. They took a steamer +to Vancouver, and then flew across the country +to Maine.”</p> +<p>“From then on the Lindberghs dropped +out of the news, because they wanted to. +And they didn’t figure in the news again +until that terrible day when their baby was +kidnapped. That was on March 1st, you +remember. But in spite of everything that’s +happened, Lindy is carrying on, and so is +Anne Lindbergh. They’re still the country’s +most loved couple.</p> +<p>“Lindy’s still working hard at aviation, +and trying to make the world aviation conscious. +That’s what he says his aim is, +and that’s what he makes his trips for. He +wants people to get so used to airplanes +that they’ll ride in them just like they ride +in automobiles, without thinking twice +about it. He hasn’t had any serious accidents, +because he’s always careful that everything’s +in perfect order before he starts on a +flight. That’s part of his program. He +wants to make people see that if you’re cautious +enough, flying isn’t dangerous.</p> +<p>“I think that Lindy’s succeeded in what +he’s tried to do. The world, and especially +the United States was never more interested +in aviation than in the year that Lindy flew +across the Atlantic. That made them sit up +and take notice. The United States was +way behind Europe in air service, but since +it perked up and got interested in what could +be done, why, its been getting ahead by +leaps and bounds.</p> +<p>“And we mustn’t forget that the most important +thing about Lindy is that he was +born with wings. He wasn’t made a flyer, +he just was one. I’ve seen him give an exhibition, +when we went to see the air races, +and golly, you could tell his plane from +anybody else’s in the world. He handles it +so easily, and takes it off like a thistle and +brings it down like a feather. A plane’s just +part of him.</p> +<p>“And besides that, he’s as modest as they +come. Of course, that’s an old story. Everybody +knows that. But it still strikes me +as pretty marvelous that a man can make a +big success when he’s only 25, and then go +on as though nothing had happened, sticking +to his work, only working harder than +ever. If anybody gets my vote, it’s Lindy, +even if he was running for President, and I +was old enough to vote.” Bob stopped. +“Well,” he said then, “I guess that’s the end +of my story.”</p> +<p>It was pretty late. The moon had gone +down, and the garden was dark, with the +four men making four mounds of deeper +black where they sat. Suddenly a light in +the house switched on, sending out a stream +of light that picked out Bob, his hair tousled, +his eyes blinking in the sudden glare.</p> +<p>Hal started. “It must be late,” he said +anxiously. “I’d better be getting on. The +night air—I shouldn’t have stayed so long.”</p> +<p>The screen door of the house slammed, +and a figure approached, then down the +garden walk, strangely burdened.</p> +<p>“Hang around,” said Captain Bill, starting +up. “This is going to be interesting.” +He hurried down the path and met Bob’s +mother, whose strange burden turned out +to be a tray with glasses and a covered dish. +He took the tray from her. “You can’t go +now,” he called to Hal. “Look what we’ve +got.” He set the tray down, and lifted the +napkin from the plate. “Home baked cookies,” +he said, and took one. “You should +have joined our group sooner,” he said to +his sister, between bites.</p> +<p>“Because I brought cookies, I suppose, if +for no other reason,” she said with a laugh.</p> +<p>“Why, Meg, you know that you’d be +welcome even without cookies. You should +have been here to hear your son and my +nephew tell a grand story in a grand way.”</p> +<p>Bob felt himself blushing in the dark. +Praise from Bill was rare and much sought +after. “Aw,” he said, “it wasn’t anything.”</p> +<p>“It was a good yarn,” said Bill, emphatically.</p> +<p>“If it was a good yarn, then he’s your +nephew, all right,” said Mrs. Martin. “There +was never anybody like you for yarning. +And good ones, too.”</p> +<p>Captain Bill laughed, and took another +cookie. “If I can tell stories the way you +bake cookies—”</p> +<p>He didn’t finish his sentence. Hal had been +standing nervously at the edge of the group, +waiting for a chance to break in. Now he +broke in, chance or no chance. “I’ve got +to go, really I do,” he said. “My mother +will be worried. Thanks a lot for everything. +Goodnight.” He broke into a run, +and disappeared into the darkness.</p> +<p>Captain Bill looked after him. “Say, +what’s the matter with Hal? What was his +hurry?”</p> +<p>Bob was a little embarrassed. He hated +to talk disloyally about his friend, but he +felt that Bill ought to know. “I guess he’s +afraid to be out so late alone. You see, +Hal’s pretty much of a baby yet. He’s afraid +of a lot of things he oughtn’t to be afraid +of, and he’s always afraid that his mother’s +worrying about him.”</p> +<p>“I think that it’s his mother’s fault,” said +Mrs. Martin. “She’s pampered him and +spoiled him until he can’t do a thing or think +for himself. She just didn’t know that the +best way to rear a boy is to give him plenty +to eat and a place to sleep and let him take +care of himself.”</p> +<p>“That’s why I turned out so well, isn’t +it, Mother?” said Bob.</p> +<p>His mother laughed. “Oh, I don’t know +about you. You must be the exception +that proves the rule.”</p> +<p>Bill spoke suddenly. “There ought to +be something done about Hal,” he said. “I +like that boy. He’s got the stuff there, but +he needs something to bring it out. How +about it, Bob?”</p> +<p>“I think so, Bill,” said Bob, pleased that +Captain Bill had seen so much in his friend. +“I’ve been trying to help Hal, and I think +that he’s getting much better than he was, +don’t you, Mother?”</p> +<p>“I have noticed an improvement,” said +Mrs. Martin.</p> +<p>“There’ll be more before I go home,” said +Captain Bill.</p> +<p>“Don’t hog the cookies,” said Pat, making +his first, but most important contribution +to the conversation. But Pat, though +he had said nothing, had thought a lot.</p> +</div> +<hr class="docutils" /> +<div class="section" id="chapter-viia-close-shave"> +<h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id7">CHAPTER VII—A Close Shave</a></h1> +<p>The next two weeks were hectic ones +for Pat, the Captain and their two friends, +with Pat teaching the boys to fly, the boys +learning to fly, the Captain generally directing +all activities, and three of them planning +and preparing for their flight to the Adirondacks. +Hal couldn’t go. It was with real +sorrow that he told them that his mother +would not permit him to go with them. Hal +was beginning to enjoy better his flights +into the air, and his companionship with +his new friends. Pat did not frighten him +at all now, and his happiest hours were +those that he spent with him, Bob and Captain +Bill. He knew that he would be very +lonesome if they went off without him, but +no amount of persuasion on his part would +move his mother in her determination that +he should not go. She had so many arguments +on her side that Hal was completely +floored when he tried to point out to her +the reasons why it would be perfectly safe +for him to go with his friends.</p> +<p>Bob was downcast. He knew that he +would have a good time with Pat and Bill, +but he knew too that he’d have a better +time if someone his own age were along. +After all, he couldn’t do anything as well +as Pat and Bill. He couldn’t fly a plane, +although he was learning rapidly, and would +soon be able to take a solo flight; he couldn’t +shoot as accurately as they; nor land a +mountain trout so well. Hal, who was also +a novice, would have been just as inexpert +as he was at all these things, and would +have made him feel not quite so stupid. And +then there were always things to talk about +to Hal that the others wouldn’t be able to +understand—in fact, Hal and he spoke a +language of their own. It would have been +fun if Hal could have come along—but if +he couldn’t go, he couldn’t go. Bob +decided that he’d better take the matter philosophically. +So he joined in the plans of +the Captain and Pat with all his usual energy. +Hal helped, too, Even if he was not +going with them, he wanted to get the thrill +at least of being in on the start.</p> +<p>They were all down at the airport every +day, rain or shine. Pat gave them a good +background of ground work, and then let +them fly with him. Bob, with his natural +quickness, could have flown solo almost after +his first flight, but Pat would not take the +responsibility of letting the boy go up alone.</p> +<p>Hal, on the other hand, had more obstacles +to overcome. The first was the terror +that he had felt on his first flight. However, +after repeated flights, and the feeling of +power that he gained from actually having +the controls in his hands, he overcame his +fear enough to fly with Pat, and fly well.</p> +<p>Two days before their departure for the +mountains, Pat and Bill decided that the +boys ought to make their solo flights, so +that Hal would have made a solo flight before +they left him.</p> +<p>Pat had taken the Marianne up into the +air, had “taken a look about,” and +landed her again. He turned to the two boys +and asked, “who’s first?”</p> +<p>“Me,” said Bob.</p> +<p>“All right,” said Pat, and Bob climbed +into the cockpit smiling confidently.</p> +<p>“See you soon,” called Bob, and waved +a hand in farewell. He taxied the plane out +over the runway, turned her nose into the +wind, and felt her rise from the ground. +He felt a thrill of power as the machine +responded to the slightest movement of +the stick. He had control of all the boundless +energy stored in that motor, and could +direct this huge craft in any direction he +chose. He felt the blast of wind against +his face. He was off the ground now, flying +low, just clearing a small tool house. +He pointed the nose of the Marianne up and +climbed slowly, then leveled off again. His +instruments showed that he was flying at +about a thousand feet up. The motor sounded +good. The air was smooth. Bob felt +a keen exhilaration. He wanted to shout in +triumph. At last he was flying a plane, +alone.</p> +<p>Again he pointed the nose up into the air, +and climbed to about 5,000 feet. The sky +was clear and cloudless. He lost all track +of time and space. He seemed to be by himself +in the universe. But he knew that he +wasn’t. The others would be expecting him +back. Reluctantly he banked and turned +around, and headed once more for the airport. +He throttled down the motor and +glided swiftly to earth. He saw the grass +below turn green as he approached it; he +leveled off. In his excitement, he kept the +tail of the plane a little too high, his front +wheels landed too soon, and he felt for a +breath-taking moment that he was going +over on his nose. But the Marianne righted +herself, and taxied docilely along the ground.</p> +<p>Bob jumped out, pushing back his goggles. +“How was that?” he shouted to Pat and +Bill, who came running up to him.</p> +<p>Pat glowered. “What a landing!” he said, +in disgust. “Young man, is that the sort of +landing I taught you?”</p> +<p>Bob’s smile faded, and he looked crestfallen. +“I didn’t level off,” he said.</p> +<p>“Of course you didn’t. A blind man +could tell you that.” Then Pat’s voice suddenly +changed. “But you handled her like +a veteran,” he said. “You’ve got the makings +of an ace in you, lad.”</p> +<p>Bob’s ready grin spread quickly over his +face again. “Did I really?” he cried. “Bill, +what did you think?” He was perfectly +willing to hear himself praised, now that +he was sure that his performance has been +good.</p> +<p>“Oh, you’re all right,” said Bill grudgingly. +“How about Hal? It’s his turn +now.” He turned to Hal. “You show this +young fellow how to make a three point +landing,” he said, and gave Hal a little clap +on the shoulder.</p> +<p>Hal came forward. He was unusually +silent, and his face was pale. He had struggled +with his fear and he felt that he had +conquered it. He had come to have confidence +in his handling of the Marianne with +Pat or Bill in the other cockpit, ready to +take the controls if anything went wrong. +Now he would have confidence taking her +up alone. He set his jaw grimly and got +into the cockpit. The motor was warm, and +sounded good. Hal took the Marianne into +the air with a grace that made Pat and Bill +look at each other with surprise and congratulation.</p> +<p>“The kid’s got the stuff, all right,” said +Bill. “I knew he had. Who said he didn’t +have nerve?”</p> +<p>“He’s better for it, too,” said Pat. “It’s +done him good, all right.” They watched the +plane climbing into the cloudless skies. Then +suddenly the sound of the motor ceased. +“Good grief,” cried Pat. The others were +too horrified even to cry out. They saw +the plane stall, then fall nose down, spiraling +as it went.</p> +<p>When he heard the motor conk, Hal’s +heart stood still. He tried the stick frantically. +The rudder, the ailerons, would not +respond. The throttle brought no answering +roar of power. The Marianne had become +suddenly a mad thing, an enemy, bent +on his destruction. She side-slipped, her +nose dipped down, an she went into a +tailspin.</p> +<p>Hal was frantic. His first impulse was to +pull up on the stick, in order to bring up +the tail. Then some glint of reason came +through his terror, and he remembered Pat’s +warning that this was the last thing he +should do to pull himself up. But what +had Pat said? He couldn’t remember. Then +suddenly it came to him. Push forward on +your stick! With an effort he made himself +push forward. The Marianne gave a convulsive +shudder. But the action had taken +her out of her spin. With a feeling of unutterable +relief Hal felt her come out of her +spin and go into a glide. He looked over +the side of the plane. He was rushing toward +a brick building, at the furthest end +of the airport! There was nothing to do +now but crash. He was too close to stretch +out the glide!</p> +<p>With a last desperate movement, Hal +opened the throttle of his engine. The motor +caught! With a thrill of joy he heard the +roar of the motor as it started again, and +felt the stick respond to his touch. He pulled +back the stick, the nose of the plane lifted, +and he zoomed into the air.</p> +<p>Down on the ground Pat, Bill and Bob +had gone through the tortures of the damned, +watching Hal fall to what seemed certain +death, while they stood helplessly below. +When they saw him zoom once more into +the air, their hearts bounded with him.</p> +<p>“The gas-line must have been clogged!” +shouted Pat. “It cleared itself out when +they dived!”</p> +<p>“Thank God,” said Bill.</p> +<p>Bob could say nothing, but kept shouting +Hal, Hal, Hal, over and over again. Hal +was gliding in, now, to land.</p> +<p>He got out of the cockpit, white and shaking. +The others, beside themselves with joy, +surrounded him, shaking his hand, hugging +him, patting his shoulder. But Hal did not +seem to notice what was happening.</p> +<p>“You handled that plane like Lindbergh!” +shouted Pat. “Good boy.”</p> +<p>But all that Hal said was, “I’m never +going up again.”</p> +<p>Pat had gone over to the plane to look +it over. “It seems all right,” he said, turning +off the motor that he had tested. “But +there must have been a bit of dirt in the +line leading from the gas tank. You had +a lucky escape, lad. It was quick thinking +that you did up there. I’m proud of you.”</p> +<p>But Captain Bill saw that Hal was in +no mood for praise. He knew, too, that +the best cure for the boy was to take him +right up again into the air, so that he +would have no time to develop a phobia +against going up. But he would not risk +taking up the Marianne until it had had a +thorough overhauling.</p> +<p>The Captain put his arm around Hal’s +shoulder. “You mustn’t say that you’re +never going up again, Hal, old man,” he +said. “You proved yourself up there. You’re +going to make a great flyer.”</p> +<p>“It was great, Hal, great,” said Bob. “I +would have crashed the old bus and killed +myself. I couldn’t have kept my head.”</p> +<p>Hal said nothing except that he wanted +to go home. Pat stayed behind with the +plane while the other three went over to +the parking lot to get their machine. “Don’t +say anything to my mother, whatever you +do,” said Hal. “I don’t want her to worry. +After all, nothing really happened to me, +and why should she be frightened for nothing?”</p> +<p>Bob and the Captain promised to say +nothing. In fact, they spoke very little on +the way home. Hal was worn out +emotionally and the others were occupied with their +own thoughts.</p> +<p>The Captain was worried by the new +turn that affairs had taken. He was disappointed +that all the progress that had been +made in Hal’s education had been ruined +on the first solo flight. It would have been +all right if he had been able to take Hal +into the air again, but he couldn’t. Tomorrow +they would be too busy with their preparations +to do any flying, and the day after +that, they would start for the Adirondacks, +leaving Hal behind. Without his friends, +and with the memory of his terror fresh in +his mind, Hal would fall back into his old +fears, and be actually worse off than ever. +The time to cure Hal was at once, if at all.</p> +<p>Captain Bill had an idea. He thought +about it rather carefully most of the way +home, and when they were almost home, he +broached his plan. “Say, Hal, how about +coming over tonight—with your mother? +I’m going to tell my story after dinner, tonight, +and I thought maybe she’d like to +hear it.”</p> +<p>Hal was rather surprised. His mother +rarely visited, and did not see very much of +the Martins. In fact, she had been to the +Martins only twice since they had been neighbors, +and one of those visits had been to return +Mrs. Martin’s formal call upon her new +neighbor when the Greggs had moved into +the house next door. But Hal said, “Why, +I’ll ask Mother. I don’t think she’s busy, +and I guess she’d like to hear your story, +Captain Bill. I’ve been telling her about +the stories, you know.”</p> +<p>“Good,” laughed the Captain. “Don’t +tell her too much, though. I want her to +come to hear them.”</p> +<p>“I think she’ll like to come,” said Hal. +Thinking it over, he felt convinced that his +mother should hear Captain Bill’s story +that night. He knew she would enjoy the +evening with them all. They were a jolly +lot, and Mrs. Martin often was lonesome +when Hal went off and left her alone. She +would be better for a night of company. +And perhaps—well, Hal could not dare to +hope—perhaps she would approve more of +his going on a trip with these men if she +knew how splendid they were. But then +Hal shuddered. They were going to fly to +the mountains. And he was never going to +fly in a plane again. He felt that he would +rather do anything in the world than put +himself in a position again where he might +experience the awful horror of feeling himself +going into a nose dive.</p> +<p>They let Hal off at his home. When Bob +and the Captain were alone, Bob asked why +Bill had thought of inviting Hal’s mother +to hear his story that night.</p> +<p>“Why, Mrs. Gregg’s a nice woman. Don’t +you think that I should have invited her?” +asked the Captain, with a twinkle.</p> +<p>“Oh, but you must have some other reason,” +said Bob. “You don’t want her to +come over just because you want an audience +for your story.”</p> +<p>“Well, to tell the truth,” the Captain answered, +“I have a motive. Can I count +on you to help me?”</p> +<p>“If it’s not murder,” said Bob.</p> +<p>“Nothing like it,” the Captain said. “This +is my plan, Bob. You know that we want +Hal to come along with us on our trip, now +more than at any other time. If we leave +him now, all the good that flying and being +with us has done him will be wasted, and +Hal will be the same fraid-cat that he was +before we began to educate him. Now, I’m +going to tell the story of Byrd tonight. Byrd +started on his adventures when he was very +young. He had a brave mother, who saw +that following his own inclinations was good +for her son. That much is for Mrs. Gregg. +Second—Byrd had to overcome a great many +obstacles before he reached his goal. That +part is for young Hal. Now, if the Gregg +family takes my story seriously tonight, I +think that we may have Hal with us on +our flight. And Hal will be a new boy. +How about it?”</p> +<p>Bob looked admiringly at his uncle. “Gee,” +he said, “that’s a great idea. But I think +that you’ll have to tell a pretty convincing +story.”</p> +<p>“Don’t you think that I can?”</p> +<p>“Golly, I’m not going to worry about +that,” said Bob. “I’m sure you can.”</p> +<p>When they got in, they found Mrs. Martin +sewing, and lost no time in telling her +first the events of the day, and second, their +plans for the evening.</p> +<p>“But why didn’t you invite her to dinner?” +asked Mrs. Martin. “I’m sure we’d +enjoy having them with us.”</p> +<p>“I didn’t think of that,” said the Captain, +“or rather, I thought that I was taking +enough liberty in just inviting somebody to +your home for the evening.”</p> +<p>“I’ll call her,” said Mrs. Martin firmly. A +far away look came into her eyes. “You +know,” she said, “I think that I shall do +some talking to Mrs. Gregg myself, I have +some things to tell her about raising her +own son. I suppose she will resent it, but +I shall at least have the satisfaction of getting +it off my chest, and perhaps of helping +poor Hal.”</p> +<p>“Hal’s the one I’m interested in,” said the +Captain. “He acted like a real hero in that +plane today. Kept his head, and saved himself +and the plane. He’s got the stuff, all +right, and he can handle a plane.”</p> +<p>“I’m with you, Captain,” said Bob. “And +with you and Mom on the job, I don’t see +how anybody can possibly get away with +anything. You two could convince anybody +of anything.”</p> +<p>His mother looked at him speculatively. +“Can I convince you right now that you +ought to go up and wash? Believe me, young +man, you can’t get away with looking that +dirty, if that’s what you mean.”</p> +<p>Grinning sheepishly, Bob went out of the +room. “You win,” he called. “And I’m +betting on you tonight, too.”</p> +</div> +<hr class="docutils" /> +<div class="section" id="chapter-viiinorth-pole-and-south"> +<h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id8">CHAPTER VIII—North Pole and South</a></h1> +<p>Dinner was a jolly affair. Everybody was +in excellent humor. Hal had quite recovered +from his afternoon’s experience; Pat +had succeeded in getting the Marianne into +perfect shape; Bill looked forward to his +evening’s plans with relish; and Bob was +happy just on general principles, anticipating +a great evening, and because he was usually +happy. Mrs. Gregg, who often became +lonely by herself, was glad of being in such +pleasant company.</p> +<p>They went into the garden after dinner, +and the Captain, after filling up his ever-present +pipe, began his story.</p> +<p>“Well,” he said, “there’s only one way +to begin the story of anybody’s life. That’s +by telling when he was born, because after +all, that’s the first thing that happens to a +man, isn’t it? Well, Admiral Richard Evelyn +Byrd was born on October 25, 1888, in +Winchester, Virginia, where there had been +Byrds ever since anybody could remember. +In fact, the first Byrd settled in America +about 1690, and the name has been a prominent +and honored one ever since. There +were Byrds fighting in the Revolution and +in the Civil War, so it wasn’t from nowhere +that our Richard Evelyn got his courage and +grit that carried him through the dangers +of being the first man to cross both the North +and the South poles in a plane.</p> +<p>“He had a grandmother, too, who gave +him a goodly supply of what it takes to +do great deeds. That was Jane Byrd, who +was the sort of person around whom legends +spring up, and are carried down from generation +to generation. In fact, one of them +was a famous story of her killing of a huge +blacksnake. It was during the Civil War. +Her husband and her brother were both fighting +for the Confederacy, and Jane Byrd was +left alone to manage the great plantation +and farm. And manage it she did. One +day she went to gather the eggs in the chicken +house, and found a great blacksnake had +swallowed twelve prized guinea eggs that +had been set under a setting hen. She clubbed +the snake to death with a club, taking +care not to strike the twelve bumps that +showed all down its body the places where +the twelve guinea eggs reposed. Then she +cut the snake open and took out the eggs +and put them back under the hen, without +a bit of fuss or excitement. She took seriously +the charge that she must take care of the +estate while her men were away fighting.</p> +<p>“Richard Byrd couldn’t have had better +ancestors to back him up in his adventures, +but every ounce of courage, every bit of +perseverance that he inherited, he needed. He +was a man who met with hundreds of disappointments, +and innumerable obstacles in +carrying out the plans that meant so much +to him and to the world. But he was never +downed by them. Set-backs that would have +made other men, men of lesser caliber turn +from their paths and give up their plans, +were just so much more of a spur to him.</p> +<p>“Dick Byrd was never a robust man. He +had the physical handicap of a bad ankle to +overcome, and his general build has always +been slight. He is not the huge, strapping +hero of story-book fame; he was the little +Napoleon with a great determination that +outweighed any physical weakness. A man +doesn’t have to be big to get places. A little +fellow, if he wants to badly enough, can +accomplish a lot.</p> +<p>“And Dick Byrd certainly wanted badly +to go to the Pole. Even when he was a kid +in school, it was his ambition to be the first +man to reach the North Pole. Somebody +beat him to it. Peary got there first, but it +took him a long time, and he had to go on +foot. Byrd flew, and accomplished in a few +hours what had taken days and weeks to +do before.</p> +<p>“Not only did he want to go to the Pole—he +wanted to go to all sorts of places, +and he did, too. Before he was fourteen +years old, Richard Byrd traveled alone +around the world! That took nerve. And +not only nerve on Richard Byrd’s part, but +on the part of his mother! The trip wasn’t +a regular round-the-world tour that anybody +can make today on a boat that’s like a little +palace, but it was a rough, adventurous +voyage on an army transport, and a British +tramp.</p> +<p>“It was like this. You see, Dick had +struck up a friendship with Captain Kit +Carson. After the Spanish American War, +Carson went to the Philippines as a Circuit +Court Judge. But he didn’t forget his friend +Dick. They exchanged letters. In one letter +the Captain mentioned that it would be +a fine idea if Dick Byrd came down to the +Philippines to see the exciting time that they +were having down there. Dick took him up +on the idea, and made plans to go. At first +his mother was horrified at the idea, since +Dick was not a strong boy. But with unusual +intelligence, she decided to let him go, +since the trip would be an educational one, +and would do the boy more good than any +possible harm that could come to him. The +very fact that he wanted so badly to go, +and planned his trip so carefully, made her +feel that he had reached an age where he +must be allowed to decide for himself. This +was a very wise decision on her part, since +it was probably this trip, with its adventures +in self-reliance that made Richard into +the successful adventurer that he is.”</p> +<p>“The trip to Manila was made exciting by +a typhoon that stuck the transport—something +that the boy would not have wanted +to miss, although the Captain of the transport +could have done very well without it—he +said it was the worst that he’d ever been +through.</p> +<p>“They got to Manila, though, safe and +sound, and Dick was greeted by his friend +Carson. Manila was intensely amusing for +a boy of fourteen. Amusing, and mighty +exciting. The excitement included a lone +combat with a gang of angry rebels armed +with knives—from which the young Dick +escaped only by the fleetness of his pony’s +heels. That’s the sort of adventure young +boys dream of, and that’s the sort they +should have to look back on, if they are to +live the full sort of life that Richard Byrd +did.</p> +<p>“From Manila, Dick went visiting to Darim +Island. On the island the cholera plague +was raging, and Dick got exposed to the disease. +They put him into quarantine. He +didn’t get the cholera, but all around him +men were dying in terrible agony. Finally +the doctor managed to get Dick to the +seaport, and he got a boat for Manila. They +were glad to see him back, and he was glad +to be back.</p> +<p>“After Manila, Dick went on his merry +way around the world by way of Ceylon +and the Red Sea to Port Said, where he reshipped +for the last lap of his cruise. It was a +wonderful trip for a boy, and there’s no +doubt that it had a great influence on all +that he did later.</p> +<p>“When Richard got back, and had settled +down more or less, his parents decided that +he should go to Virginia Military Institute. +He was popular at the Institute, as he was +popular wherever he went, for his spirit—that +old spirit that carried him around the +world, and later across both of the earth’s +poles. It was the same spirit that made him +try out for the football team at V.M.I.—and +carried him to the position of end on +the first team. It was at that time that an +incident occurred which was to be very significant +in his later life. In one game of the +season he broke his ankle. This was not +important in itself—but it happened to be +the first break of an ankle that was going to +bother Dick again and again—and almost +at one time defeat him entirely.</p> +<p>“But I’m getting ahead of my story. After +being graduated from the Military Institute, +Dick Byrd went quite naturally to Annapolis. +He entered in 1908. He carried +his popularity and his success with him to +this place. His grades were not of the highest, +but he excelled in athletics, going out +for football again, besides track, boxing, and +wrestling.</p> +<p>“In his last year at Annapolis, Dick’s ankle +made itself felt again. Dick was Captain +of his gym squad, which was competing in +the big exhibition of the year. Dick, as +Captain, wanted to make a spectacular showing, +and cinch the meet for his team. To +do this, he invented an intricate, complicated +series of tricks on the bars, calculated to +stir up the most lethargic members of the +audience. It would have been a great trick—if +it had succeeded—but it didn’t. Dick +slipped, somehow, and his hands failed to +connect with the bars. Down he went—on +the same ankle, breaking it once more.</p> +<p>“In 1912 he got his commission, and became +an ensign. And he also began to +formulate plans for his great adventures. Connected +with the Navy—there was no telling +what opportunity for adventure would come +to him. But he reckoned without his ankle. +It gave way a third time—this time while +he was going down a gangway, so that he +was pitched headfirst down. They tried to +fix up the ankle—in fact, they joined the +bones together with a silver nail. That is, +Byrd thought that they had used a silver nail—and +when he discovered that just a plain, +ordinary nail had been used, he felt very +much deflated. Nail and all, Byrd walked +with a limp, and an ensign with a limp was +just useless, so far as the Navy was concerned. +So Byrd was retired.</p> +<p>“That must have been an awful blow to +him. Not only was the only career open to +him cut short, but he had been married the +year before, to Marie Ames, a childhood +sweetheart from Winchester. So that his retirement +affected not just himself, but another +as well.</p> +<p>“It might have floored a lesser man. But +not Dick Byrd. In 1917 the United States +went into the World War, And Byrd, who +had been rejected by the Navy, and who +doubtless could not have found a place in +the army, decided to go into the branch of +the service that wouldn’t ask questions about +his bad leg—because it didn’t matter whether +he had a bad leg or not—in aviation. So +to aviation he turned.</p> +<p>“He entered the Naval flying school at +Pensacola, Florida. It was a lucky day for +Byrd and for aviation that he took to the +air. It seems that the air was where he belonged. +He was a Byrd by birth, and might +have been born with wings, for the ease with +which he took to flying.</p> +<p>“He became assistant superintendent of the +school, and was on the commission to investigate +accidents. There were a lot of them, +then. The planes were not so highly developed +as they are now—and the green +youngsters who were entering the service +could not handle them. You can imagine +how horrible it was to see some friend’s plane +come crashing down into the ocean, and +have to be the first to go out in the rescue +boat, in order to do what was possible to +rescue him, and to discover what had caused +the accident. A warning from the observation +tower—somebody was in tailspin. A +deafening crash! And the rescue boat would +be put out before the waves from the great +splash had subsided. At this work Byrd +learned that more than half of the accidents +could have been avoided with care—either +in inspecting the machine before going up, +or in handling it up in the air.</p> +<p>“Dick Byrd was just too good. That was +his tough luck at this point in his career. +He was too good to be sent over to France, +where he wanted to go. He was sent instead +to Canada, where he was chief of the American +air forces in Canada. At this job, as +well as at any other that he undertook, Byrd +acquitted himself admirably. And even +though he chafed at being kept in America, +he did his job well.</p> +<p>“But his mind was soaring across the +ocean. As early as 1917 Byrd wanted to fly +the Atlantic. But there was always something +that interfered. After the war, he petitioned +the Navy again about a cross-Atlantic +voyage, and was given permission to go +over to England and sail the ZR-2 back to +America. How tragically this may have ended +for Byrd you can see. The ZR-2, on a +trial flight suddenly burst into flames and +crashed into the Humber river. Forty-four +of the passengers were killed, among them +friends of Byrd. It was Richard Byrd’s task +to investigate the wreck that might very easily +have claimed him for one of its victims.</p> +<p>“In 1924 his hopes seemed about to be +realized at last. He was assigned to the dirigible +Shenandoah, and was to fly it across +Alaska and the North Pole. But the Shenandoah, +too, met with disaster, and Byrd’s +hopes were again dashed. The Navy rejected +his petition to go with Amundsen on +the trip that he planned over the Pole, and +all hope seemed gone. In fact, as a final +blow, Byrd was retired from the aviation +service altogether.</p> +<p>“But he was as undaunted by this setback +as he had been by his retirement from +the Navy. He set about immediately to organize +his own Polar expedition, which was +to be climaxed by his flight over the Pole +in 1926.</p> +<p>“Floyd Bennett, whom Byrd often said +was the best man in the world to fly with, +helped him plan his expedition which was +to be the realization of all his boyhood +dreams and visions. It wasn’t easy to plan, +and the foresighted planning, they knew, +would mean the success or failure of their +project.</p> +<p>“They chose a three-motored Fokker monoplane, +with 200 horsepower Wright air-cooled +motors. It was 42 feet 9 inches long, +with a wing spread of over 63 feet. It was +capable of a high speed of 120 miles an hour.</p> +<p>“That was the plane, the Josephine Ford. +Their ship was the Chantier, given him by +the Shipping Board. The crew was made +up of picked men, and Byrd knows how to +pick them. Not one of them failed to live +up to his expectations on that trip.</p> +<p>“On April 5, 1926, all of the plans being +completed, and the last supplies of food +to last fifty men for six months being stowed +away, the Chantier sailed from New York +for King’s Bay, Spitzbergen. They got there +on April 29th, after an uneventful trip, and +anchored in the Bay. But the problem of +getting the plane to shore arose. They solved +it by building a huge raft, loading the heavy +ship onto it, and towing it to shore through +the choppy, ice-blocked water.</p> +<p>“When they got the plane onto the shore, +the wheels sank into the snow, and they had +to replace them with skis, which seemed ample +to sustain the weight of even that great +craft. How frail they really were was to be +proved later.</p> +<p>“Byrd and his men set up camp, and +prepared for the take-off to the Pole. They +had to work fast. The Amundsen-Ellsworth-Nobile +Expedition with its dirigible +the Norge was well on its way with its preparations, +and while there was no bitter rivalry +between the two expeditions, nevertheless +the distinction of being the first to fly over +the Pole was one not to be sneezed at. +Everybody worked—eighteen hours a day, +with meals taken on the run. And nobody +thought to complain—the morale never +broke once. That’s the sort of man Byrd +picks to take with him—and that’s the sort +of respect they have for a man who chooses +them. Byrd’s a leader. No matter where +he has come in contact with men, he has +won their love and respect, and has got +more work out of them by his kindness and +gentleness than anybody else could have by +slave-driving. They worked for Byrd because +they liked to, not because they had to. +He imbued them with his spirit of adventure, +so that every man of them was determined +that his expedition should be successful, and +that Byrd should be the first man to fly +across the Pole.</p> +<p>“One of the hardest jobs of all was packing +down the snow into a hard, smooth runway +for taking off. They had to take off +going down hill, since there was no level +stretch of snow for their start, and this hill +had to be smoothed and leveled. The first +attempt at a take-off was disastrous. The +plane landed in a snowdrift, with a broken +ski. The carpenters worked for two days +and nights to make new skis, and the ship +was ready for its second attempt.</p> +<p>“The second trial flight was a huge success. +The ship rolled down the incline and +took gently and gracefully into the air. At +least they would be able to get off. The +landing, too, was beautiful. So far, so good. +They discovered by this trial flight that they +could make the North Pole and return without +landing once, as they had planned before.</p> +<p>“The Josephine Ford was a mighty heavy +craft, and loaded with fuel and supplies, +which they would need in case of a forced +landing and overland trek, she weighed five +tons. This accounts for the terrible job getting +her off the ground and into the air.</p> +<p>“Well, finally everything was ready, the +weather was just right; the motors had been +warmed up, and Bennet and Byrd climbed +into the plane, ready to start. Down the +runway they coasted. There was a tense +moment. Would she lift? With a groan, +the men on the ground saw her lurch, roll +into a snowdrift, and all but turn over.</p> +<p>“A lesser man, as I said once before, would +have been discouraged. But not Byrd! He +got out, inspected the plane, and found to his +joy that it had not been damaged. No delay! +Off again. They lightened the load +as much as they dared by taking off some +fuel, then taxied the Josephine Ford up the +hill again. The men worked like Trojans +to get the runway lengthened and smoothed +out again. At last everything was ready.</p> +<p>“Byrd and Bennett decided to stake everything +on that last trial. They decided to +give the engine all the speed they could, so +that at the end of her run she’d either rise +into the air, or crack up once and for all. +Even as they planned, they hoped against +hope that it would be the former, and not +the latter. The weather was perfect. It was +a little past midnight. The men of the expedition +were gathered about, anxiously +awaiting the take-off. Byrd and Bennett +shook hands with them, stepped into the +cabin of the ship and started down the runway. +The great ship rose laboriously into +the air. There was a shout from their comrades. +They were off for the North Pole! +Those on the ground cheered lustily. The +Great Adventure, for which one of those +men in the air had been preparing all his +life, had begun.</p> +<p>“They had to navigate first by dead reckoning, +following the landmarks in the vicinity +of King’s Bay. They climbed to a good +distance so that they could get a perfect +view of the land below them, and looked +down upon the snowy mountains, scenery +grander than any they had ever seen before, +and terrifying, too. In a short time they +left the land behind, and crossed the edge of +the polar ice pack.</p> +<p>“There are no landmarks on the ice, and +when they reached the ice pack, they had to +begin their careful navigating. In the first +place, they had to hit the Pole exactly, +chiefly because that was the place they had +set out for, and then because if they didn’t +hit it exactly, they would have no way of +reckoning their path back to Spitzbergen, +and would be lost in the arctic wastes.</p> +<p>“But expert navigating was Dick Byrd’s +strong point. He had developed a sextant +by which the altitude of the sun could be +gaged without reference to the horizon line, +and that was exactly what he needed now, +because due to the formations of ice, the horizon +was irregular. But figuring out position +by means of the sextant requires at least +an hour of mathematical calculation, and by +the time the position had been figured, the +men in the airplane had advanced about a +hundred miles or more. So they used a +method that they had learned, whereby their +position could be judged by means of taking +the altitude of the sun and laying down the +line of position on a sort of graph.</p> +<p>“Their compass was of little value. They +were too near the North Magnetic Pole, +which had a tendency to pull their magnet +from the geographical Pole to its own position, +about 1,000 miles south. So they +used a sun compass, that indicated their +position by means of the sun. Of course, the +fact that they had sun throughout the whole +trip was an advantage. I doubt if they could +have made it otherwise. Navigating up there +is too difficult. Then they had to figure +on wind drift. The wind, blowing pretty +hard, say, about 30 miles an hour at right +angles to their plane would cause it to drift +thirty miles an hour out of its course. This +they were able to make up for by means of +the drift indicator, which compensated for +the drift.</p> +<p>“Bennett piloted first. He would glance +back to the cabin where Byrd was busy +with the navigating instruments, and Byrd +would indicate to him how to steer his course +by waving his hand to the right or the left. +When they were certain of their course, Byrd +looked down on the land that he had desired +to see since he had been a boy in school. +Below them, stretching for mile upon mile +was the ice pack, criss-crossed with ridges, +seeming like mere bumps in the ice from their +altitude, but really about 50 or 60 feet high. +Every now and then they saw a lead, opened +by the movement of the water—those +treacherous leads that had led many a hardy +explorer to his death.</p> +<p>“Byrd took the wheel. He steered with +one hand while he held the compass in the +other. Bennett poured gasoline into the +tanks, and threw overboard the empty cans, +to relieve the plane of weight. From then +on they took turn and turn about at the +wheel, Byrd navigating incessantly, until he +had a slight attack of snow blindness from +looking down at the snow so constantly.</p> +<p>“Soon they came to land where no man +had ever been before. It was then that Byrd +felt that he was being repaid for all the +planning, all the hard work and heart-breaking +disappointments that he had experienced. +The sun was shining, the Josephine Ford +functioning perfectly.</p> +<p>“Perfectly? Just a minute. They were +about an hour from the Pole. Byrd noticed +through the cabin window a bad leak in the +oil tank of one motor. If the oil leaked out, +the motor would burn up and stop. Should +they land? No. Why not go on as far as +they could, perhaps reach the Pole? They +would be no worse off landing at the Pole +than landing here, and they would have +reached their goal. So on they kept. Byrd +glued his eyes to the oil pressure gauge. If +it dropped, their motor was doomed. But +they would not land, or turn back.</p> +<p>“Luck was with them. At about two +minutes past nine o’clock, they crossed the +Pole. It takes just a minute to say it, but +how many years of planning, how many +years of patiently surmounting obstacles had +prepared for that minute’s statement!</p> +<p>“Below them was the frozen, snow-covered +ocean, with the ice broken up into various +formations of ice fields, indicating that +there was no land about. Byrd flew the +plane in a circle several miles in diameter, +with the Pole as a center. His field of view +was 120 miles in diameter. All this while +he was flying south, since all directions away +from the Pole are south. And now, his purpose +accomplished, his hardest task faced +him. He had to fly back to Spitzbergen.</p> +<p>“Soon after he left the Pole, the sextant +that he was using slid off the chart table, +breaking the horizon glass. He had to navigate +the whole trip back by dead reckoning! +With the oil fast spurting out, and the motor +threatening to stop any minute, and no +sextant to show his position, Byrd had his +hands full. They lost track of time. Minutes +seemed like hours, hours like ages. Then +they saw land dead ahead. It was Spitzbergen! +Byrd had flown into the unknown, +600 miles from any land, had turned about, +and come back to the very spot from which +he had started.</p> +<p>“Maybe you don’t realize what wonderful +navigating this was. But anybody who has +navigated a plane by dead reckoning knows +that it was a feat that called for great skill.</p> +<p>“Nobody was prouder of what Byrd and +Bennett had done than the men who had +worked so hard to make the trip a success, +and who had stayed behind at Spitzbergen, +without glory or reward except in knowing +that they had been a necessary feature in the +success of that journey. The whistle of the +Chantier blew a shrill whistle of welcome. +The men ran to greet Byrd and Bennett, and +carried them in triumph on their shoulders. +Among the first to greet them were Amundsen +and Ellsworth, whom Byrd had beaten +in the race to be the first to cross the Pole +by air. But they shook hands with vigor. +They were glad that it was Byrd who had +beaten them, if it had to be anybody. Byrd +affects people that way. He’s just as well +liked after successes as before them. That’s +the sort he is.</p> +<p>“They were pretty glad to see him when +he got back to the United States, too. There +were plenty of whistles blowing, plenty of +ticker tape, and parades for the returning +hero. But Dick Byrd stayed modest through +all of it. In the first place, he never gets +fussed. He isn’t a southern gentleman for +nothing. And in the second place, he realized +that the shouting wasn’t so much for +him as it was for the thing that he did. He +had brought the United States the honor of +sending the first men over the Pole. And +the United States was applauding the deed, +not himself. But he seems to have forgotten +that if it hadn’t been for his years of +planning, striving and struggling the deed +never would have been accomplished.</p> +<p>“Well, Dick Byrd had accomplished his +life’s ambition. But it didn’t mean that he +was ready to quit. There were new fields +to conquer. How about flying the Atlantic? +He’d always wanted to fly the Atlantic. +Anything that was all adventure appealed to +him. So when they hoisted anchor at Spitzbergen +after the flight across the Pole Byrd +said to his companion Bennett, ‘Now we can +fly the Atlantic.’</p> +<p>“The plan to fly the ocean had its origin +in the same motives that the North Pole +flight had. Byrd wanted to make America +aviation conscious; and he wanted to make +American aviators conscious of the benefits +of careful planning. Dozens of lives had +been lost in unsuccessful trans-oceanic flights—the +lives of young men full of the love of +adventure, who made hasty plans, or no +plans at all for spanning the ocean—who +had no qualifications except a great ambition +to see them through the great grind that +was before them. Byrd wanted to show all +fool-hardy young flyers that care, care, and +more care was needed in their preparations. +He had to prove to the United States, too, +that if care were exercised in these flights, +they were not necessarily dangerous. All this +Byrd had to prove. And in the meantime +he’d have the time of his life, steeped in the +adventurous sort of work that he craved.</p> +<p>“So Byrd and Bennett started their plans. +The first step, of course, was the choosing +of the plane. Opinion was in favor of a +single-motored plane for a cross-Atlantic +flight, since a single-motored plane would +have a greater cruising range; offer less resistance +in the air; and be less complicated +to handle than a multi-motored craft. But +Byrd held out for the tri-motor, the same +type of plane as the Josephine Ford, which +had carried him over the Pole. There was +this to say for it: if one motor stopped, the +other two would still function; and it might +be the solution to the problem of what +kind of plane would cross the Atlantic in the +future, when planes ran on regular schedule. +They wanted a bigger plane than the +Josephine Ford, though. So they had one +designed with a wing spread of 71 feet, +which meant that they got an increased lifting +power of about 3,000 pounds. That +enabled them to take along about 800 pounds +of equipment above what they actually needed, +to show that a pay load could be carted +across the water in a plane.</p> +<p>“They needed plenty of equipment, +though. There was a special radio set, rockets +to shoot off as signals if anything went +wrong; two rubber boats for the crew; and +emergency food and equipment of all sorts +for forced landings; and even a special apparatus +for making drinking water out of +salt water so that they would not go thirsty. +In fact, they could have survived for three +weeks in case of an accident. They? Why, +Byrd decided that besides himself and Bennett, +they would take along passengers, also +to prove something—this time that passengers +could be carried across to Europe by +plane.</p> +<p>“They successfully petitioned the Weather +Bureau to make predictions for the trans-Atlantic +flights, and for the first time in history +regular weather maps for aviation were +made of the North Atlantic.</p> +<p>“At the end of April, in 1927, the plane +was ready for its factory test. Byrd planned +to make his flight in May, which he figured +was a good month. It happened that there +were at the time several other planes preparing +to cross the ocean. Byrd was in no +race, however. Of course, it would have +been nice to be the first man across the Atlantic, +as he had been the first man over the +Pole—but he encouraged the others who +were preparing and made no effort to be the +first to start. However, his plane was ready +before the others.</p> +<p>“Byrd, Bennett, Noville, who was going +with them, and Fokker took her up for +her first flight. Fokker was at the controls; +the other three, passengers. Everything went +smoothly. She took off well; her motors +functioned perfectly. But as soon as the +motors were turned off for the glide, they +felt her nose dip. She was nose-heavy. +When they tried to land, they knew definitely +that she was nose-heavy, and zoomed +into the air again to plan what they should +do. However, they couldn’t stay up indefinitely—they +hadn’t much fuel. Down +they glided again. The wheels touched the +ground. Fokker jumped. But the other +three were caught.</p> +<p>“Byrd felt the fuselage heave up. The +plane went over on her nose, turned completely +over. Something struck him with +an awful impact, and he felt his arm snap. +They had to get out of this! They were +trapped in a mass of wreckage which might +at any moment burst into flames and burn +them to death before they had a chance to +escape. Noville, beside Byrd, broke a hole +in the fabric with his fist, and they crawled +out. The wreckage did not burn. Someone +had turned off the switches of all three motors.</p> +<p>“Bennett? He was hanging head down in +the pilot’s seat, unable to free himself. His +leg was broken; his face bleeding. He was +badly injured—so badly that for a week it +was thought that he would never recover. +But he did—of course. His iron nerve and +grit pulled him through. But any thought +of his going on the trip was out. This was +a blow to Byrd. There was no man he +would rather fly with than Bennett, Floyd +Bennett, the cheerful companion, the willing +worker, himself an expert pilot, and +able to divine instructions before they were +even given. Tough luck!</p> +<p>“But tough luck, too, was the fact that +the plane was almost irreparably damaged. +Byrd set his arm on the way to the hospital, +had them put it in a sling so that it would +be out of the way, and went back to the +factory to supervise the repairing of the +America. It took over a month of work +night and day to repair the damage that had +been done, and re-design the nose so that the +craft would be balanced.</p> +<p>“May 21st was set for the christening of +the plane. The christening-was changed into +a celebration of the successful flight of Lindbergh. +Bennett was pleased with Lindy’s +achievement, since Lindy had proved the +very things that Byrd himself had set out to +prove—that with careful preparation, the +ocean could be spanned; and that a successful +ocean flight would stir the imaginations +of the people, making them more conscious +of aviation and its strivings. Then, too, +Lindbergh cemented relationships between +France and the United States, which was one +of Byrd’s purposes in flying to France instead +of to England, or any other country.</p> +<p>“Well, after the ocean had been crossed, +there was no need for hurry. Not that +Byrd had been in a rush; but there was a +great deal of criticism concerning the delay +of his trip. Nobody knows how these things +start, or why. It seems that it should have +been Byrd’s, and Byrd’s business alone, as to +when he chose to cross the ocean. After all, +it was his life being risked, and his glory if +the flight were successful. But a great many +people in the United States felt that there +must be some ulterior motive in his not +starting immediately; and that he had been +bested by a mere boy when he let Lindbergh +be the first man to conquer the ocean.</p> +<p>“But Byrd didn’t care. He knew what +he was about. He was a southern gentleman, +and he said nothing to his defamers. +And he went on completing his preparations. +Chamberlin, with his passenger Levine, +broke the world’s record for flying to Germany, +in a remarkable flight. Byrd hailed +their success.</p> +<p>“Then at last, on June 29th, early in the +morning the weather man reported that +weather conditions, while not ideal, were +favorable. Dick Byrd decided to delay no +longer. He called together his crew, and +met them on the field at 3:00 o’clock in +the morning. It was a miserable morning, +and a light rain was falling. By the light +of torches the crew was putting the finishing +touches on the huge’ America. There she +was, atop the hill that they had built for +her, so that she would get a good fast start. +And a good fast start she needed, all 15,000 +pounds of her. Think of the speed they had +to get up in order to lift that bulk from the +ground! They’d have to be going a mile +and a half a minute!</p> +<p>“Bert Acosta was at the wheel; Noville, +recovered from his serious injuries in the +trial crash, sat with his hand on the dump +valve, by means of which he could dump a +load of gasoline if they didn’t rise into the +air; Bert Balchen, the young Norwegian relief +pilot and mechanic, was busy with the +spare fuel.</p> +<p>“The engines were warmed up. The +great ship was ready—no, not quite ready. +But she was eager to be off. The America +broke the rope that held her, and glided +down the hill on which she had been held. +It was a tense moment. Would they be able +to get this great hulk into the air? Along +the ground she sped, gathering momentum. +Her wheels lifted. There was a shout. She +had cleared the ground. But the danger was +not over. They must fly to at least 400 feet. +Then the America showed her metal. She +climbed on a turn, and they were flying at +an altitude of 400 feet. They were off!</p> +<p>“On they sped to their destination at last. +The wind was behind them, helping them; +the weather was disagreeable, and slightly +foggy, but this did not bother them. They +reached Nova Scotia easily. But when they +got there they got a horrible shock. They +had run into a fog. But what a fog! One +so thick that they couldn’t see the land or +ocean under them. And they flew for 2,000 +miles like this, absolutely blind, with black +towering clouds ahead of them, below them, +and when they ran through them, all around +them.</p> +<p>“The strain was terrible. In addition, +Byrd calculated that they had used more +fuel than he had expected, because of climbing +so high to get over the clouds, and they +might not have enough to take them to +Europe. But they did not want to turn +back. They would take their chance. Balchen +and Acosta piloted with great skill, +and Byrd took his turn at the wheel while +they slept. The wind was with them, and +they made excellent speed. Radio messages +came to them clearly. They judged their +position, and their gas supply, and found +that they had underestimated their remaining +gas. They could get to Rome.</p> +<p>“On the afternoon of the second day they +came out of the thick fog, and saw the welcome +water beneath them. They were +bound for France, and they hit the coastline +at Finisterre. They headed for Paris. Then +they radioed ahead for the weather report. +Fog! Fog and storm, with its center at +Paris. This was the worst thing that could +possibly have happened to them, this arriving +at their destination in a fog. But they went +on. It would be a triumph, and an addition +to aviation knowledge if they could +land in a storm, after coming all the way +from America.</p> +<p>“They figured finally that they must be +almost over Paris. But suddenly the fog +below them was pierced by a queer light. +It was the revolving signal of a lighthouse! +Their compass had gone back on them, and +they had made a circle, coming out not at +Paris, but back to the coast of France.</p> +<p>“They turned around, after adjusting +their compasses, and made once more for +Paris by dead reckoning. They were above +Le Bourget. But what could they do? They +could see nothing below them, only an inky +blackness that nothing could penetrate. +Landing would have meant not only death +to themselves, but perhaps to many people +who had gathered to watch their triumphal +landing. Their gas was getting low. Byrd +saw only one solution. They turned and +flew once more back to the coast. They +were heading for the lighthouse that they +had come upon accidentally before. They flew +very low, over the sleeping towns and villages +that they knew were below them, but +which were shrouded in pitch blackness. A +revolving light pierced the blackness, and +they were at the seacoast. But over the water +it was just as inky black as over the land.</p> +<p>“Balchen was at the wheel. Byrd gave +the signal to land. They threw over a line +of flares that gave them some idea as to +where to land, then descended. The force +of their impact with the water sheared off +the landing gear. The plane sank to the +wings in the water, and the fuselage filled +rapidly.</p> +<p>“Byrd was thrown into the water. He +swam to the plane. Noville was climbing +out. The other two were nowhere to be +seen. Byrd called to them. He swam over +to the plane, which was almost submerged. +Balchen was caught in the wreckage, but +managed to extricate himself. Then Acosta +swam up from nowhere. His collar bone +was broken. But a hasty survey assured +Byrd that the others were all right. Almost +exhausted, they got out the collapsible boat, +blew it up, and paddled to shore. It was +a mile to the village, and they trudged wearily +on.</p> +<p>“They certainly did not look like a triumphal +parade when they got to the village, +four tired, wet, dirty men, who looked +more like tramps than aviators. They tried +to arouse the villagers, but they could not. +A small boy riding by became frightened +when they spoke to him, and scooted away. +Finally they approached the lighthouse, +aroused the lighthouse keeper and his wife, +and made them understand what had happened.</p> +<p>“From then on, all was beer and skittles. +There wasn’t enough that the villagers could +do for the Americans who had landed so +unceremoniously in their midst—or practically +in their midst. They rescued the +plane, and the mail that was in it.</p> +<p>“Paris was next, and the real triumphal +parade started then. The flyers were almost +overwhelmed with the wonderful greeting +that the Parisians gave them. It was worth +all of the hours of agony that they had gone +through. They had accomplished what +they had set out to accomplish, after all.</p> +<p>“Then America. Once more the American +people welcomed Dick Byrd back as the +hero of the moment. He had excited interest +in aviation; he had proved many valuable +scientific facts; he had proved a hero +under trying circumstances; he had added +to the friendly feeling felt by the French for +the American people; in fact, he had done all +things except one. He had not extinguished +his spirit of adventure.</p> +<p>“No sooner was Admiral Byrd back from +his trip across the Atlantic when he was +planning another voyage, this time reflecting +again the boyish dreams of his early youth. +He planned to go to the South Pole to make +certain scientific studies, and to fly across the +Pole when he was there.</p> +<p>“Very carefully he began to plan. He +first obtained his ships. The <em>Larsen</em> and the +<em>Sir James Clark Ross</em> were to be used as supply +ships. <em>The City of New York</em>, once an +ice breaker, was to be his chief ship, and the +<em>Eleanor Bolling</em>, named in honor of his +mother, was to be the chief supply ship. He +took, too, four planes, three for observation +flights, and the huge three-motored +Fokker, the <em>Floyd Bennett</em>. Every division +of the expedition was equipped with radio +sets. Every division of the expedition was +further so equipped that in case of accident, +or in case it should be separated from any +other unit, it could rescue itself.</p> +<p>“Among the preparations was the purchase +of about a hundred eskimo dogs, which were +to be used in the arctic. Ships, planes, cameras, +radios, footgear, and a thousand other +details Byrd had to plan carefully. Almost +a million dollars had been spent before the +ships even left New York.</p> +<p>“In the midst of the preparations Admiral +Byrd received a terrible blow. This +was the death of Floyd Bennett, that someone +has already told about. Bennett flew to +the aid of Major Fitzmaurice, Captain Koebl +and Baron von Huenefeld, who had been +forced down in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, +during the first east to west crossing of the +Atlantic. At Murray Bay, Quebec, he developed +influenza, which turned into +pneumonia. He died in Quebec. Colonel Lindbergh +rushed to Quebec with serum to save +his life, but it was of no use. Floyd Bennett, +whom everybody loved, and one of the +greatest pilots of his day, had flown his last +flight.</p> +<p>“It meant a loss to all aviation, but to +Dick Byrd especially, since the two men had +been close friends. There was no man with +whom Byrd would rather have flown over +the South Pole, as he had flown over the +North. In memory of his friend, Byrd +named the plane with which he was to fly +over the Pole the <em>Floyd Bennett</em>.</p> +<p>“Preparations had to go on. It came time +to choose the crew and staff which was to +go with Byrd, to be gone for such a long +time in the arctic wastes. The prospect does +not seem inviting—the leaving of comfortable +homes, of families, in order to spend a +year in the coldest climate that will sustain +life. But so great is the spirit of adventure +in man that 15,000 people volunteered to go +on the expedition. The men who were finally +chosen were picked men—all physically +in perfect health, and mentally alert. True, +some of them shipped in positions in which +they had had no training, but Admiral Byrd +could safely say that he had made a mistake +in no case. Every man that he chose proved +himself worthy of the choice.</p> +<p>“Finally all was ready. On August 26, +1928, the <em>City of New York</em> started out. +<em>The Eleanor Bolling</em>, a steamship, started +later, as did the supply ship, the <em>Larsen</em>. +<em>The City of New York</em>, a sail boat, got to +New Zealand about the middle of November, +the last to arrive. The <em>Larsen’s</em> cargo +was shifted to the other ships. On December +2, the <em>Eleanor Bolling</em> and the <em>City of +New York</em> sailed for the ice pack. In about +two weeks it came into sight. Then the +latter ship took over the former’s cargo, and +while the sail boat sailed back for New +Zealand, the steamer went on to penetrate +the ice pack and steam at last into the Ross +Sea.</p> +<p>“The ship and its precious cargo went on +to the ice barrier, and it was on the ice barrier +that Little America, the base of the expedition, +that was to be the home of Byrd +and his men for a rigorous year and a half, +was built.</p> +<p>“The village they built was complete in +every detail. As soon as they landed, the +men started in with the building program. +There were three clusters of buildings set in +a circle about a thousand feet around. These +included the Administration Building, containing +living quarters, dispensary and radio +reception room, a meteorological shelter, etc. +Then there was the general dormitory, and +the observation igloo. Other buildings included +the store houses and medical supply +store-house; a Mess Hall, which was reached +by a tunnel, and contained the dining room, +and more living quarters.</p> +<p>“The community was a comfortable one. +There was plenty of work, of course, but +there was time for leisure, too, and the men +could listen to the radio, play with the dogs, +read one of the books of the large library; +play cards, in fact, do any one of a number +of things. The food was good. Dried vegetables +and fruits had been taken down in +quantities. There was plenty of meat, both +smoked, and fresh killed seal meat. They +had electric light, and plenty of heat to keep +them warm. In fact, the life was pleasant +if anything.</p> +<p>“Of course, the most significant part of +the whole expedition was Byrd’s flight over +the Pole. As in the other flights, the building +of the runway was the greatest task, and +one of the most important. It took the +whole crew of 60 men to keep the runway +in condition. On January 6th, the Commander +made his first flight in Antarctica, +making many photographs from his plane. +After that, many trips were taken, new land +discovered, and scientific observations made.</p> +<p>“The long night set in, and meant less activity, +but in the Spring the sun rose once +more, and activity broke out with renewed +vigor, especially around the planes. Men +had been sent ahead to cache food for +emergency, in case of a forced landing of +the <em>Floyd Bennett</em>. Byrd, Harold June, +Bernt Balchen and Ashley McKinley were to +make the flight. Everything was at last +ready, and they were waiting only for favorable +weather conditions in order to start.</p> +<p>“On November 27, this was in 1929, +came a weather report that satisfied Byrd, +no fog, and plenty of sun. The next day +was bright and fair. The plane was given +a final overhauling. It was carefully +warmed; the oil was heated and poured in. +Into the cabin went the dogs, and the dog +sledge, the food and other supplies that the +men would have to use in case of a forced +landing. Into the plane, too, went Ashley +McKinley’s camera, which was to take records +of the crossing of the Pole.</p> +<p>“Finally Byrd gave the signal. <em>The Floyd +Bennett</em> was rolled out of its hangar to the +runway. Balchen was to pilot first. He +opened the throttle of all three motors. +There was a roar, and they were on their +way.</p> +<p>“Away they flew, into the cloudless sky. +June and Balchen piloted, Byrd navigated. +They flew high, and in spite of their load +of 12,000 pounds, almost as much as they +had had on the <em>America</em>, they attained an altitude +of some 10,000 feet. This was necessary +in order to clear the highest of the +glaciers. On flew the <em>Floyd Bennett</em>, gayly +as a bird.</p> +<p>“The craft had left Little America just +before three o’clock in the afternoon. In ten +hours she had covered 700 miles. Then +suddenly they were over the Pole. They +circled around in a great circle, whose center +was the South Pole, and then turned +back. At a little after ten the next morning +they sped wearily into camp at Little America. +In nineteen hours they had been to the +South Pole and back, and Dick Byrd, even +though he couldn’t have been the first man +at the North and South Poles, nevertheless +found himself the only man in the world +who had flown over both the North and +South Poles.</p> +<p>“There was a let-down in the community’s +enthusiasm. The great task had been +accomplished. They awaited the City of +New York which was to come to take them +home. Preparations were made for the homeward +journey. It was with joyous cries +that the steamer City of New York was +greeted, and with pleasure that the men left +Little America for New Zealand. By April +they had left hospitable New Zealand behind, +too, and had started for the United +States.</p> +<p>“Once more his countrymen turned out +to honor Byrd. Dick Byrd was now Rear-Admiral +Byrd, but the same Dick Byrd as +he had always been before. There were +banquets, and medals, and many honors +heaped upon him. All over the world movies +which had been taken of the expedition +were shown to entranced millions. Everybody +shared in the work, the good times, the +adventures of that group of men.</p> +<p>“And here was little Richard Evelyn Byrd, +who had been the undersized, delicate boy, +with a will of iron, and a spirit for adventure, +the leader of it all, the prime force behind +the whole expedition. He accomplished +all that he sat out to accomplish, and more. +The scientific data that he collected proved +valuable; and interest in aviation was beyond +a doubt stimulated. And that’s that. +How’s that for a little fellow with a bum +ankle? Pretty good, eh?”</p> +<p>Nobody answered the Captain at first. +There seemed no answer. Each of them was +busy with his own thoughts. Or her own +thoughts, because the feminine minds in +that gathering were working very fast.</p> +<p>“Well,” said Mrs. Martin at last, “I am +usually the last person to point a moral, +but I do think that there’s a moral in that +story.” She saw her opportunity at last. +“I think that Dick Byrd’s parents were responsible +for the boy’s success. If they had +squelched his adventurous spirit at the +beginning, he would probably never have got +any place.”</p> +<p>Mrs. Gregg smiled to herself in the darkness. +“Do you believe in young boys going +off by themselves, Mrs. Martin?”</p> +<p>“It teaches them self-reliance,” said Mrs. +Martin firmly.</p> +<p>“Do you think that they ought to fly +planes by themselves?”</p> +<p>“And why not? After all, there isn’t +very much to flying a plane, if you keep +your wits about you. And I’m sure that +both of our boys have their wits about them. +I think that the earlier you learn a thing, +the better it is for you. It makes everything +else easier, too.”</p> +<p>There was a silence for a while. Then +Mrs. Gregg said, with a laugh in her voice, +“I think that I’m being worked upon. First +by the Captain with his story, and then by +you. I’m afraid I have no defense.” She +turned to Hal, who had not spoken at all, +but who had been thinking a great deal +during the story of Byrd, and the obstacles +that he had overcome. “Well, Hal,” she +said, “what do you think? Shall we yield +to these people? Shall the Greggs yield to +the Martins?”</p> +<p>Hal had not seen his mother so light-hearted +and gay for a long time. The pleasant +evening and the story had had a decided +effect upon her.</p> +<p>Hal didn’t know exactly what to say, +But his mother went on, “I think we’re +beaten, Hal. Do you want to go to the +mountains with your friends?” Nobody +there knew the effort that that sentence cost +Mrs. Gregg, but she had said it, and she +stood committed.</p> +<p>Hal was at a still greater loss as what to +reply. His heart was beating wildly. There +was nothing that he desired more now than +to go to the mountains, but he felt the effort +that his mother had put behind her +words. Should he go? He wanted to. He +wanted to show them that he wasn’t afraid. +And he wouldn’t be afraid, either. Not any +more. Other people, little fellows, too, had +done things, had gone places, and they +weren’t afraid. So Hal said, “Well, I’d like +to.”</p> +<p>“If you wish to, you may,” said Mrs. +Gregg.</p> +<p>Bob, who had listened breathlessly to this +conversation, could restrain himself no longer. +“Whoopee!” he yelled. “Hal’s coming +along! Hal’s coming along!” He jumped +up and started to execute a war dance, dragging +Hal after him.</p> +<p>Captain Bill was pleased. His story had +made a hit—more of a hit than he had even +hoped for.</p> +</div> +<hr class="docutils" /> +<div class="section" id="chapter-ixfour-women-flyers"> +<h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id9">CHAPTER IX—Four Women Flyers</a></h1> +<p>Mrs. Martin, too, was pleased. She had +gained her point, and now had another surprise +for the company. “Did it ever occur +to you that there are famous flyers who aren’t +men? It’s just like you to neglect the women +altogether.”</p> +<p>“Aw,” said Bob, “we can’t go telling +stories about women. We’re sticking to +men.”</p> +<p>“It seems to me that the women oughtn’t +to be neglected,” said his mother. “After +all, when we women do things, we like to +be recognized.”</p> +<p>The Captain broke in, then. “Well, how +about some of the women? he asked. Of +course, being a woman yourself, you can’t +enter our story-telling contest, but you can +amuse us from a purely amateur love of +getting in your feminine licks.”</p> +<p>Mrs. Martin smiled in the dark. “You +think that I won’t,” she said. “But I will. +I’ve been doing reading of my own, you +know.”</p> +<p>“Tell away, Mater,” said Bob. “You’re +better than any of us.”</p> +<p>Mrs. Martin began her story. “There are +four women who stand head and shoulders +above the rest in the United States,” she +said, “when it comes to flying. They are +that oddly-assorted group—tall, slender, +boyish Amelia Earhart, who’s Amelia Earhart +Putnam, now; little Elinor Smith, who +doesn’t weigh much over a hundred pounds: +medium-sized, gracious and charming Ruth +Nichols, who belongs to the Junior League; +and short, sturdy, daring Laura Ingalls.</p> +<p>“Amelia is probably the first lady of the +land, or I should say, first lady of the air +in the United States now, since her solo +trans-Atlantic flight on May 20, 1932. It +was fitting that she should make her flight +on the fifth anniversary of Lindbergh’s flight +to Europe, because she’s always been called +the Lady Lindy. She looks like him, you +know—long, lean, blonde, with a shock of +unruly curly hair, and a shy, contagious +smile. She has even his modest nature, and +the ability to win the hearts of everybody +with whom she comes in contact.</p> +<p>“The solo flight wasn’t Amelia Earhart’s +first trip across the ocean by plane. You +remember her first flight, when she went as +a passenger on the Stultz-Gordon flight in +1928. She’s the first person now who has +ever crossed the ocean twice through the +air. Amelia is a real pioneer—she must +have adventure and excitement in life—that’s +why she gave up social service work, +and made flying her profession. It wasn’t +easy for her to learn to fly—she just had +evenings and Sundays to get in her practice +flights, but she stuck to it, and finally had +a sufficient number of hours in the air to +get her pilot’s license. Of course, she is interested +in the progress of aviation. Everybody +who flies has this interest at heart—but +the love of adventure is uppermost in +her mind when she makes her record flights.</p> +<p>“It was that that sent her across the +Atlantic, through storms and sleet and fog, +with no thought of turning back, in spite +of decided defects in her motor that threatened +to land her in the middle of the ocean +and send her to certain death.</p> +<p>“There wasn’t much publicity before her +flight. Since it was going to be for her own +satisfaction, she wanted to keep it to herself. +She took off quietly from Harbor Grace, +Newfoundland. The weather was fairly +good, but when she got out a few hours, +she met with the same terrifying flying conditions +that her solo predecessor, Lindbergh, +had. Fog enveloped her plane. She could +not see in front of her, or to either side. +Ice formed on the wings of her plane, and +threatened to break them off. Gradually the +temperature rose, and the ice melted. But +new dangers threatened. A weld in the exhaust +manifold broke, and the manifold vibrated +badly; leaks sprang in the reserve gas +tanks in the cockpit, and then—the altimeter +broke.</p> +<p>“Now the altimeter, as I suppose you all +know, records the altitude at which the plane +is flying. Amelia Earhart had never flown +without one, and now she realized the hazards +of not knowing how high she was flying +through the fog. Sometimes she would +drop so low that she came suddenly out of +the fog, but so close to the water she could +see the white caps on the surface.</p> +<p>“The girl realized that she must make a +landing as soon as possible, and that was +when she reached Culmore, Ireland, a tiny +place five miles from Londonderry. She +landed in a field, scaring a team of plow +horses, who had never before seen a woman +landing after a trans-Atlantic flight. She +went by automobile to Londonderry, and +there received the rousing welcome that was +due her.</p> +<p>“Europe entertained her royally. She was +awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross; she +was received by the Prince of Wales; she +was partied and banqueted. And through +it all she kept her poise, and modestly accepted +the acclaim that was showered upon +her. She was the first woman to fly solo +across the Atlantic, but not only that, she +had set a new speed record for the North +Atlantic Ocean, flying a distance of 2,026 +miles in about thirteen and a half hours. +She had at the same time broken Ruth Nichols’ +long distance record for women, which +had been set at 1,977 miles from Oakland, +California, to Louisville, Kentucky.</p> +<p>“Ruth Nichols has a habit of setting records. +She started to fly at about the same +time that Amelia Earhart started, and has +kept nip and tuck with her, except for the +fact that proposed plans of hers to fly the +Atlantic have not as yet been carried out. +She was graduated from Wellesley College, +and was a member of the Junior League, +which rates her pretty high in the social +scale, but her overwhelming desire for adventure +and pioneering, led her, as it led +Amelia Earhart, to choose aviation as her +profession. Ruth Nichols held the long distance +record for women until it was broken +by Amelia Earhart. She holds the altitude +record for women, though, and broke the +altitude record for Diesel engines in 1932, at +a height of over 21,000 feet.</p> +<p>“Elinor Smith was, in a way of speaking, +born in an airplane cockpit. Her father +was a pilot; Elinor made her first flight +as a passenger at the age of eight; took over +the controls at twelve; and made her first +solo flight at fifteen. She was so small that +her head did not reach over the top of the +cockpit, and the other pilots called her ‘the +headless pilot.’ It was a funny sight to see +a plane land gracefully on a field apparently +with no one to guide it. Then out would +pop Elinor, a grimy little girl, covered with +grease from the motor, and with a cheerful +grin on her impish face. It was Elinor, +who at seventeen, set the women’s solo endurance +record by staying in the air alone +for 26 hours and 21 minutes. Elinor should +do great things in aviation. She knows her +planes inside and out; she’s had the opportunity +such as no other woman has had, to +learn the technicalities of aviation when she +was young that she absorbed them as part +of herself. Elinor Smith is one of the most +popular women in aviation now.</p> +<p>“Laura Ingalls is the stunt flyer of the +women. She came out of the middle-west, +from Missouri. She took to music and dancing +first to express her restless spirit, and +then found that it was flying that would +express her best. So she went to a government-approved +school, and became an expert, +daring flyer. She is the holder of the record +for loop-the-loops for women, and of the +barrel roll record for both men and women. +She is interested in the progress of aviation, +but gets a great thrill out of merely flying +for its own sake.”</p> +<p>Mrs. Martin paused. “I guess that gives +you an idea,” she said, “what women are +doing nowadays.”</p> +<p>“Women have always done the great +things in aviation,” said Mrs. Gregg. “They +stay home and wait while the men are risking +their lives. Waiting is harder than doing.</p> +<p>“Women haven’t a monopoly on that,” +said Bob. “What about Mr. Putnam, who +waited at home while his wife flew the +ocean?”</p> +<p>Everybody laughed. “You’re right, Bob,” +said Mrs. Gregg. Then she added, “It’s getting +pretty late. How about our going, +Hal?”</p> +<p>The two of them cut across the garden +to their home.</p> +</div> +<hr class="docutils" /> +<div class="section" id="chapter-xhawks-and-doolittle"> +<h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id10">CHAPTER X—Hawks and Doolittle</a></h1> +<p>The next day was spent in a pleasantly +muddled state, getting Hal ready to go with +them, and putting the finishing touches to +their own equipment. Stout boots, fishing +lines, flies, everything on their lists was gradually +being checked off. Late in the afternoon +they had a breathing space, and Bob +remembered that it was Pat’s turn to tell +his story.</p> +<p>“Come on, Pat, you might as well get it +over with,” said Bob. “We haven’t anything +else to do, anyway.”</p> +<p>“You’re mighty impudent for a young +one, Bob, my lad,” said Pat. “Just +because you’ve made a solo flight doesn’t mean +that you’re wings are dry yet. You might +know that any story I’d tell would be good.”</p> +<p>“Oh, Patrick, you’ll have to prove that,” +said the Captain. “I’ve heard some pretty +awful ones from you. Haven’t I?”</p> +<p>“It must have been two other fellows,” +said Pat. “But I’ll begin. And I won’t +take so long, either. I’m not one of these +long winded story tellers,” he said significantly.</p> +<p>“Get on, get on.” This from Captain +Bill.</p> +<p>“My two boys are the speedy two, all +right,” began Pat. “Speed was their middle +name. Their real names were—well, you +probably have guessed. It’s not a secret—Frank +Hawks and Jimmie Doolittle. Beg +pardon, maybe I had better say Lieutenant +Commander Frank Hawks of the United +States Naval Reserve, the holder of some 30 +inter-city aviation records, etcetera, etcetera; +and maybe it would be more proper to talk +about James Doolittle, M.S.; D.A.E.. But +what’s the use of the titles? They’re just +Frank and Jimmie, two of the squarest +shooters in the game.</p> +<p>“Frank was born, of all places for a flyer +to be born, in Marshalltown, Iowa, on +March 28, 1897. Iowa’s flat, you know. +Wouldn’t think that there’d be much inspiration +for flying out there. But maybe +all that flat prairie was just so much inspiration +to get away from it all, and get +up into the air. Anyway, young Frank +put plenty of grey hairs in his mother’s head +with his love for climbing. Just crazy about +high places. Always up a tree, so to speak.</p> +<p>“Little Frank was mighty pretty, I guess. +Maybe he wouldn’t like my saying it, but he +must have been a smart kid, too. At a very +tender age, my lads, our friend Frank Hawks +was playing children’s parts in Minneapolis. +But then the family moved to California—maybe +to live down the scandal of a performing +son, and Frank got serious, being +mightly busy just going to high school.</p> +<p>“Maybe it was fate, but something happened +that changed Frank Hawks’ ideas +about what he wanted to be when he grew +up. The Christofferson brothers, who were +pretty great shakes in those days, and pioneers +in flying, set up a shop on the beach +outside Frank’s home town. They took +up passengers. But they charged plenty for +it, and Frank, while he hung around a lot, +never had the money to go up, although he +was mighty anxious to fly.</p> +<p>“Finally he got an idea. If he couldn’t +get up in the usual way, he’d find a way he +could go up. So young Frank got himself a +pencil, a notebook, and a mighty important +look, and approached one of the Christoffersons. +‘I'm from the newspaper, Mr. Christofferson,’ +he says, ‘and I’d like an interview +with you.’ And he interviewed him +just as serious as you please, with Christofferson +pleased as could be, thinking of the +publicity and the new passengers he’d get. +Then young Frank asked if he couldn’t go +up, in order to write his impressions of an +airplane ride. Of course, of course.</p> +<p>“So Frank Hawks got his first ride in an +airplane, and decided on his future career. +Aviation got a recruit and Christofferson +waited a long time for his interview to appear. +In fact, he waited indefinitely.</p> +<p>“The problem for Frank then was to +get another ride. He finally went to the +flyer, and told him what he had done. He +was forgiven, and worked out his passage +for that ride and other rides by working +around the flying field. It was then he +learned to fly. But business was not too +good, and the brothers moved on. Frank +Hawks went on with his high school work, +and was graduated in 1916. Thought he +ought to have more book learning, so he +went on to the University of California.</p> +<p>“But the war stopped that. When he was +twenty, Hawks joined the army, the Flying +Corps. He was too good, though. Too +good for his own good. They never sent +him to France, where he wanted to go. Instead, +they made him an instructor, so that +he could teach green recruits how to fly. At +the end of the war he was discharged, with +the title of Captain.</p> +<p>“The five years after that were hectic ones. +Aviation was still new—interest in it had +been stirred up by war flying, and all sorts +of men, young, old, every kind, bought up +old planes from the government and went +barnstorming around the country, taking +people up on flights, stunting, flying in air +circuses, balloon jumping, and doing anything +they could to make money with their +tubs. Some of these planes were no more +than old junk, and the flyers no more than +the rankest amateurs. But there were some +of them who were good, and one of these +was Hawks. He went dizzily stunting around +the country, until’ he got himself the reputation +of being just plain crazy, but a great +flyer.</p> +<p>“There were ups and downs, to be sure. +And I don’t mean to be funny, either, my +lads. The people in the United States +were getting just a little weary of going up +in airplanes just for the fun of the thing—they +were getting too common. But—there +were people down in Mexico who had never +seen a plane, much less flown in one, so +down to Mexico went Hawks. He gave. +Mexico plenty of thrills, and Mexico gave +him some, too. The country was unsettled +at the time, upset with revolutions. Hawks +got a job flying a diplomat from Mexico +City to his ranch, because they’d be safer in +the air than going by automobile through +the mountains. Hawks even tried ranching +for a while, but it didn’t work.</p> +<p>“He decided to go back to the United +States, and when he went back he married +Edith Bowie, who hailed from Texas. Down +in Texas Hawks flew over the cotton fields +with arsenic to kill the boll weevils. He +worked in the oil fields, too, as a driller. It +was good experience for him. They found +out that he could fly, and he got a job piloting +officials of the oil company from place +to place in the oil country. They found that +they were saving time and money.</p> +<p>“At this time Lindy flew over the Atlantic. +Hawks bought the Spirit of San Diego, +which was the sister ship to the Spirit of +St. Louis, and flew across the country to +greet Lindbergh when he came back. He flew +4,000 miles on a National tour with the +Spirit of San Diego, and then 7,000 miles +criss-cross.</p> +<p>“Luck was with him. He was going to +reap his just rewards. He became a member +of one of the country’s richest oil companies, +as their technical flying expert. He advised +them in buying planes, and chose their pilots +for them, and in addition, had to sell flying +to the country.</p> +<p>“And maybe he didn’t set out in earnest +to make the country sit up and take notice +then! There was a Wasp-motored Lockheed +Air Express monoplane at the +manufacturers’ in Los Angeles, and it had to be flown +to New York. Hawks got the bright idea +that he could fly it across the country without +a stop. And he did.</p> +<p>“It was his first cross-country flight, and +his hardest. In the first place, it was February, +and the weather was pretty bad for +flying—so uncertain that they couldn’t predict +what he’d run into. But he decided to +take his chance. This was in 1929. Of +course, its being 1929 didn’t make it any +harder, but I just thought I ought to tell +you what year it was. The start from Los +Angeles wasn’t bad. He had a mechanic +with him to keep filling the gasoline engines, +a fellow by the name of Oscar Grubb. They +hadn’t flown for very long when they ran +into a fog. Hawks thought he’d try flying +below the ceiling—but he ran into a snow +storm. Then he tried climbing above it. +He couldn’t get over it.</p> +<p>“And in the midst of all this terrible strain +of flying through fog so thick that he couldn’t +see the nose of his plane, the engine began +to miss. The tank was empty. He +switched on the other tank. It was empty, +too. Why hadn’t Oscar warned him that +the fuel supply was out? What had happened +to it? Hawks looked back. There +was Oscar, sprawled out, fast asleep. But he +woke up. Pretty lucky for Oscar Grubb +that he did, and typical Hawks luck. The +tanks were filled, and on they flew through +the murk and fog. The fog cleared a little +when they got to Kentucky, but Hawks +didn’t know where he was, anyway. It +wasn’t until they got to Washington that +he recognized his position, by the Capitol +dome. From there he sped to New York, +where everybody was glad to see him. No +wonder. This speedy gentleman had made +the trip in 18 hours, 21 minutes, breaking +all speed records then existing for non-stop +cross country flight.</p> +<p>“It got to be a habit, this record-breaking. +His next venture was New York to Los +Angeles and back. He left Roosevelt field at +8 o’clock in the morning, and was in Los +Angeles in the evening. Seven hours later +he turned back and in 17½ hours more he +was back again at Roosevelt field. It was +dark coming down, and he broke a wing, +but he escaped unhurt. He’d broken the +east-west, west-east, and round trip records, +all of them, making the round trip in 36 +hours and 48 some minutes.</p> +<p>“Hawks never let people forget him for +long. He was out to sell speed to the country, +and he knew that the way to do it was +by speeding. In July everybody began to +hear about the ‘mystery ship’ that was being +built for him. It was a monoplane. On +August 6th, it was a mystery no longer. +Hawks was going to race with the sun. The +sun had always beaten him so far, and he +wanted a return match, for revenge.</p> +<p>“So he lifted his monoplane into the air +in New York, just as the sun was rising, at +about 6 in the morning. He flew right with +that sun and got into Los Angeles before +it had set, or just about 10 minutes before +6 o’clock in the evening. He’d beaten dat +ol’ davil sun, all right. One week later, and +he was on his way back across the continent +again, and got to New York in less than +12½ hours.</p> +<p>“Well, he’d proved how quickly you +could get across the United States in an ordinary +plane. Then he showed how you +could cross with a glider, towed by an engined +plane. Why, you ask. Well, in the +first place, it attracted attention to gliders. +And gliders are important in aviation. And +then, if towed gliders are practical, they +might solve the problem of carrying pay +loads in cross-country flights. The glider +could be loaded up, hitched to an airplane, +and go from New York to any point west. +That was the idea. Well, Hawks did attract +attention. It took him six and a half days +to get from San Diego to New York, stopping +off at a lot of cities, and just generally +bumming around the country.</p> +<p>“In 1930 about the only spectacular flight +that Frank Hawks made was the tour with +Will Rogers, when they flew around the +country seeking help for the drought victims. +They covered 57 cities in 17 days, which +meant a lot of work, because they put on a +show wherever they stopped. Hawks, with +his stage experience behind him, fitted in +perfectly with the plan. He not only could +fly, but he developed a patter, modeled after +Will Rogers’ and came out chewing gum +and swinging a lariat.</p> +<p>“In 1931, having about exhausted record-breaking +in the United States, our friend +Mr. Hawks left these shores, and went off +to Europe to sell speed and airplanes to that +continent. No sooner had he landed than he +started to break their records, too. The +first one to fall was the speed record from +London to Berlin, a distance, of 600 miles, +which he made in 2 hours and 57 minutes. +This was just about half the time that the +regular passenger planes take. He had a light +tail wind behind him, to help him, and a +bad fog over the channel to hinder him. He +flew the whole distance by compass.</p> +<p>“About a week later the United States +again heard from Frank Hawks. They +heard that he’d dined in three European +capitals on the same day. Left Bourget before +breakfast, had breakfast in London, +kippers, I suppose, or kidneys, at the Croydon +Field. That was about 9:30. He left +Croydon for Berlin, and got there 3 hours +and 20 minutes later, in time for lunch at +the Tempelhof Airdrome. He flew back to +Paris, for tea at Le Bourget, and then +motored into the city for a good dinner. +The dinner he didn’t pay for. It was on +some friends who had bet him that he +couldn’t make it. He did. Don’t bet against +Frank Hawks. It isn’t good business.</p> +<p>“The next month, on June 17, Frank +felt hungry again, and maybe tired of the +food he’d been getting, anyway. So he got +into his plane, at London, just after breakfast; +had luncheon in Rome, and got back +in time for tea in London. He’d made the +round trip in 9 hours and 44 minutes, actual +flying time. Of course, a man has to +take time out to eat. Getting to Rome and +back meant that he’d beaten the Alps twice. +He enjoyed that trip. He’d had a head wind +with him all the way, and was pretty glad +about beating the Alps. They look less +mighty and dangerous when you’re looking +down at them from a safe plane, in the cleat +sunshine. Almost gentle.</p> +<p>“Speedy Hawks decided to come back to +America. But he didn’t come back to rest. +He went right on breaking records, and making +up new ones to be broken. In January +of 1932 he flew from Agua Caliente to Vancouver, +British Columbia, in 13 hours and +44 minutes. That was called his famous +three-flag flight. It was a grand flight, too, +and the first of its kind to be flown in one +day. It wasn’t non-stop; he’d stopped at +Oakland, California and Portland, Oregon, +both on the way up and the way back, for +fuel. The trip was about 2,600 miles long, +and he’d averaged about 180 miles per hour.</p> +<p>“Hawks is certainly accomplishing what +he set out to do. He’s never had to bail +out, and he’s never had a serious accident. +He was pretty well banged up when he +didn’t clear the ground and crashed into +some wires early in 1932, but he pulled out +of that all right. Flying fast was no more +dangerous than flying slowly, if a man could +handle his plane. What the country needed +was speed and more speed, and Hawks gave +it to them. It helped, too. The whole +commercial system in the United States has +speeded up. Two hours have been cut off +the transcontinental trip, and more will undoubtedly +be cut off. In June of ’32 Hawks +was made Lieutenant Commander Hawks. +And it’s no more than he deserves. He’s +a great lad.</p> +<p>“And so is Jimmie Doolittle. There’s some +say that Jimmie is the greatest flyer of them +all, but he says he isn’t. I don’t know +whether we should take his word for it or +not. He may be prejudiced. Anyway, he’s +one of the best liked flyers in the country. +James Doolittle is a little fellow. That +is, he’s short. Just 5 feet 2, but every inch +a scrapper, and every inch nerve.</p> +<p>“Anybody who talks about Doolittle +likes to tell the story of the time he went +down to Chile for the Curtiss Company to +demonstrate a new type of flying plane to +the government. The Chilean government +was pretty particular. It wanted only the +best, so it decided to have five countries compete +in a mock fight, England, France, Germany, +Italy and the United States, and the +plane that won the battle would be the one +bought for the Chilean army.</p> +<p>“Well, Curtiss asked the Army Air Service +if they could borrow the Army’s crack +test pilot, Jimmie, and the Army lent him. +Doolittle went down there all set to win. +But there was a party for the aviators before +the battle, and the aviators, all being young, +and good fellows, got very jolly, and decided +that each of them would have to put +on a stunt to entertain the others. Now +Doolittle decided that his best bet was acrobatics, +so he balanced on the window ledge, +to show his best handstands and other tricks +that he’d learned in college. A brace or +something on the window gave way, and +down went James into the street, landed on +both feet, and broke both ankles. Just before +the big show! Well, they took him to +the hospital and put both ankles in a plaster +cast.</p> +<p>“The show went on, and the hero wasn’t +there. But was he resting peacefully at the +hospital? He was not. With the help of a +friend, he cut off the plaster cast, had himself +hoisted into an ambulance, and taken +to the field. When he got there, they strapped +his feet to the rudder bar, and he was all +set to go into his act. Only the German plane +was in the air. Doolittle zoomed up, and +there followed one of the prettiest dog fights +that anyone there had ever seen. Doolittle +maneuvered and bedeviled that German +plane until it turned tail and retired. James +circled around once or twice to show that +he was cock of the walk, and then came +down to get the Chilean contract for the +Curtiss people. That’s the way James Doolittle +does things.</p> +<p>“How did he get so scrappy? Well, he was +a born fighter. And then, he grew up in a +gold camp in the Klondike, and if there was +any place harder than a gold camp in Alaska +in those days, it would be hard to find. Jimmie +was born in Alameda. California, in +1896. His father was a carpenter and miner, +and left for the Klondike in ’97, the year +before the big rush to Dawson in ’98. Well, +two years later he sent for his wife and the +boy James.</p> +<p>“Jimmie’s first scrap was with an Eskimo +child. He drew blood, and was so frightened +that he cried as loudly as the Eskimo warrior. +But he never stopped fighting after +that first fight. Maybe it was because he was +so small that he had to fight. Anyway, he +usually was fighting boys bigger than himself, +and he got so good that he’d whip them +to a frazzle every time. It gets to be a +habit, you know, and any way, he was born +scrappy. Ask anyone.</p> +<p>“The Doolittles left the Klondike, and +moved back to California with their obstreperous +son, and I imagine the Klondike +parents breathed a little easier. In California +Jimmie went to school, and on the side became +Amateur Bantamweight Champion of +the Pacific Coast.</p> +<p>“When he’d been graduated from High +School Jimmie went on to the University of +California, same college that Hawks had attended. +He went on fighting, still in the bantamweight +class. But one day down in the +gymnasium, the boxing coach put him in +the ring with a middleweight for some practice. +Jimmie knocked him out. And he +knocked out the second middleweight, and +the third middleweight. So the coach, seeing +that he had struck gold, entered Jimmie in +the match with Stanford, but in the middleweight +class. The crowd roared when they +saw the little bantam getting into the ring +with a pretty husky middle. The middleweight +thought that it was a joke on him, +and was careful not to hit hard. But he +needn’t have been so kind. Jimmy Doolittle +retaliated by knocking him stiff and cold in +a few minutes.</p> +<p>“Jimmie didn’t graduate. In 1917 he married +Jo, and settled down to serious things, +such as going out to Nevada and becoming +a gold miner, and later a mining engineer. +I might say a word about Jim and Jo. +They’re known as the inseparables. They’re +always together. They’ve got two kids, who +are thirteen and eleven years old, and who +can fly in their daddy’s footsteps. The family +leads a gypsy life, flying from one army field +to another, but they have a great time.</p> +<p>“Well, I’m getting ahead of my story. +Let’s get back to the War. Because the war +broke out then, you know, and Jimmie +joined the air service. His first lesson, they +turned him over to an instructor by the name +of Todd. They were still on the ground, +when they heard a crash, then another crash. +Two planes had collided in the air. First +one dropped, then the other, close to Jimmie’s +plane. One of the pilots was killed; +the other pilot and his passenger were badly +hurt. Doolittle helped them out, and went +back for his first lesson.</p> +<p>“Jimmie, like Hawks, was just too good. +They didn’t send him to France at all, but +made him an instructor at Rockwell Field, +San Diego, where he became known as one +of the star aviators in the air service. He was +pretty angry when he found that he couldn’t +go to France. He went out to relieve his feelings. +He picked out an innocent soldier walking +down the road, and made for him. He +didn’t have any grudge against that soldier, +just against the world. But that soldier had +to bear the brunt. Jimmie swooped down +on him. The soldier wouldn’t move out of +the way or flatten out. Jimmie swooped closer +and closer. The soldier stood his ground. +Finally Jimmy came so close that his wheels +nicked the soldier, and down he went. And +away flew Jimmie, but so low that he couldn’t +rise again in time to clear a barbed wire +fence at the side of the road. He got caught +in the fence and smashed up. They gave +him a month in the barracks to think over +how smart-aleck he’d been, and then Jimmie +was out again. The soldier had a bump +on the head to remind him that he’d been +in the way when Jimmie Doolittle was mad.</p> +<p>“Jimmie had other crashes. One was just +before he made his famous flight in 1922 +across country from Pablo Beach to San +Diego. On his first attempt at a take-off one +of his wheels struck some soft sand, and +over he turned, being thrown into the water, +plane and all. His second take-off was more +successful—in fact, it was perfect. He got +to San Diego in 22½ hours.</p> +<p>“Jimmie’s greatest achievements have been +in testing and experimenting. After the war +he went to the Army technical school at +Dayton. He got an honorary degree from +the University of California, and then he +went to Boston with Jo, and entered the +Massachusetts Institute of Technology. +With Jo’s help he did four years’ work in +three, and got the degrees of Master of +Science, and Doctor of Aviation Engineering—the +first flyer to get the D.A.E. degree +there.</p> +<p>“He resigned from the army to join the +Shell Petroleum Corporation, Curtiss borrowed +him again, though, and he went to +Europe to demonstrate speed planes for Curtiss +to 21 European governments. He’s a +marvellous tester. He got the D.F.C. for his +transcontinental flight. In 1925 he got the +Schneider Cup in the International races, +and in 1929 the medal of the Federale Aeronautique +Internationale for his outstanding +achievements in aviation.</p> +<p>“I haven’t told you the most outstanding, +feats, Doolittle was one of the pioneers in +blind flying. He experimented for the Guggenheim +Foundation, testing instruments to +be used for blind flying. He also tested the +stress and strain that flying has on the human +body. He would go into right spirals, +risking his life, in order to see under what pressure +a man becomes unconscious. It’s a +dangerous business, but great for aviation.</p> +<p>“In September, 1931, Doolittle won the +air derby, flying from Los Angeles to New +York to establish a new transcontinental +West to East record on 11 hours and 15 +minutes. He won at the same time the Los +Angeles-Cleveland Bendix trophy when he +crossed the finish line of the National Air +Races at the Cleveland airport. His time to +Cleveland was 9 hours and 10 minutes, an +average speed of 223 miles per hour. As if +that wasn’t enough, he flew back to St. +Louis to sleep, making a trip of 3,300 miles +in 19 hours. He’d broken Hawks’ record +then standing. Both the boys are still going +strong. You never knew when you’re going +to wake up and find that one of them has +flown across the country so fast that he +ended up right where he started from, only +two hours earlier. But now I’m getting fantastic,” +said Pat. “I must be getting tired, +and no wonder. It’s time we were getting to +bed, if we want to leave at any hour tomorrow.”</p> +</div> +<hr class="docutils" /> +<div class="section" id="chapter-xihal-comes-through"> +<h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id11">CHAPTER XI—Hal Comes Through</a></h1> +<p>The day of their departure dawned bright +and clear. There was a high ceiling, the air +was crisp and cool, with a fresh wind blowing. +The boys could hardly control themselves +in their impatience to be off. Bob’s +parents and Mrs. Gregg drove down to the +airport with them to see them off. In spite +of the excitement of the boys, there was an +undercurrent of restraint in the group. Nobody +talked very much except Bob and Hal, +who never stopped talking.</p> +<p>The cabin plane had been taken out and +warmed up by the mechanics of the port. +It looked sleek and beautiful in the early +morning light. Pat was going to fly her. +He walked over to the Administration +Building to make final arrangements with their +friend Mr. Headlund. He took a short +cut across the field. The port wasn’t very +busy. But there was some activity—activity +that Pat, intent upon his business, did not +notice. A student pilot, taxiing his plane +across the field for his first solo flight, was +coming straight toward him. Pat did not +notice the student, the student was too rattled +to see him.</p> +<p>Bob was the first to notice what was happening. +“Look put!” he screamed. “Pat, +look out!”</p> +<p>The student pilot suddenly saw Pat. He +veered his plane, but a corner of the wing +just grazed Pat’s head, and knocked him flat. +He was already getting to his feet when the +others got to him.</p> +<p>“Are you hurt, old fellow?”</p> +<p>Pat was rubbing his head. “No, I don’t +think so. That is, no, I’m not at all. Just +nicked me. I’ll be all right in a second.” He +shook his head to clear it. “Gave me a bit of +a bump. I’ll be all right.”</p> +<p>The student pilot, white and shaking, +came over to them. “Hurt badly?” he asked +anxiously.</p> +<p>Pat laughed. “No such luck, lad. You +missed me that time. Better luck next time. +You might try picking on somebody who’s +not so tough, next time.”</p> +<p>Pat was himself again, and the others, +thankful that he had not been seriously +hurt, watched him go into the Administration +Building. When he came out, Bill asked. +“Do you want me to pilot?”</p> +<p>Pat looked scornful. “Since when did a +little bump on the head put me out of commission? +I’m driving the bus.”</p> +<p>All the baggage stowed away, the boys, +the Captain and Pat got into the plane. +They waved good bye to the others outside, +the huge craft taxied over the field, turned +into the wind and rose into the air. It was +pleasant being off at last. There was the +grand trip before them, and then the vacation +itself, fishing, swimming, shooting. +Hank had filled their heads full of the glories +of his private mountain, as he called it. +The cabin with its huge open fireplace built +of stones, the bunks in two tiers like the +berths on a pullman. Bob and Hal had already +decided that they would have to take +turns sleeping in the upper one, because +surely the upper one would be the most fun.</p> +<p>Their thoughts kept returning to the cold +mountain streams filled to the brim with +scrappy fish, and the waterfall that Hank +said he used as an outdoor shower. A whole +month of it! The boys could hardly sit still +on the leather cushions.</p> +<p>“Want something to eat?” said Bill.</p> +<p>“Of course,” they said, almost together.</p> +<p>Bill reached for the lunch hamper. Then +something seemed to go wrong. The plane +lurched. But they hadn’t struck an air pocket. +It’s nose fell, and the three were almost +thrown into a heap, one atop the other. The +plane was going into a spin! Beyond the +glass partition, Pat lay slumped over his +wheel.</p> +<p>Something had to be done at once. And +it was Hal who did it. He pushed open the +glass partition, and got somehow to the +pilot’s seat. With all his strength, and his +excitement gave him a strength that he had +never before possessed, he pulled Pat out of +his seat, and pushed him through the door, +where the Captain and Bob were waiting to +take him. Hal slipped behind the wheel, and +neutralized all controls.</p> +<p>Thank God, they had been flying at a high +altitude. The spin wasn’t a tight one, but a +loose one. Hal pushed her nose down. That +was what Pat had told him, wasn’t it? +Don’t try to pull her nose up. Push it down, +and she’d come out of it and go into a glide. +At first nothing happened. Hal was trembling, +not so much with fear as with exaltation. +He felt the great ship respond. They +were coming out of it! They were gliding +swiftly down to earth. He had her perfectly +under control. Slowly he pulled her up, +then, and they were flying quietly and steadily +with the horizon again.</p> +<p>The Captain was at the door behind him. +“You’re great, Hal, you’re great. You had +more guts than any of us. I knew you had +it in you, and you’ve showed us, Hal.”</p> +<p>Hal was happier than he had ever been +in his life. He felt that he was master of +the world now. He’d saved his pals, and +now he would never have to be afraid of +anything again. “How’s Pat?” he asked.</p> +<p>“We’re turning around. He hasn’t come +to,” said the Captain. “I’m afraid he was +hurt more badly than he thought.”</p> +<p>Hal banked and turned. It was good to +feel the ship respond to him, dipping one +huge wing slowly, and turning about gracefully +in a great circle. If not for Pat, his +happiness would have been complete.</p> +<p>They got Pat to the hospital, where it +was found that the nasty crack on the skull +had given him a slight concussion. But you +couldn’t keep Pat down. It merely meant +postponing that trip, not cancelling it.</p> +<p>Hal was the hero of the day. The newspapers, +who got the story at the airport, +hounded him until he conquered his shyness, +just to get rid of them. They made the most +of the story, and Hal was almost afraid to +leave the house, for fear some of his friends +would meet him in the street, because Hal +was still the same modest retiring soul that +he had been.</p> +<p>But he did leave the house to go down to +the hospital to see Pat, along with Bob and +Captain Bill. Pat was sitting outside in a +wheelchair when they came, and they sat +down on the grass beside him, and talked +about their postponed trip.</p> +<p>“Do you know,” said Captain Bill, +“when we come back from our trip, there’s +something that’s going to keep me busy.”</p> +<p>“What’s that?” asked Bob.</p> +<p>“I’m going to collect all of those stories +we told into a book. What do you think of +that for an idea?”</p> +<p>“Great!” said Bob. “All of our stories? +Mine, too?”</p> +<p>“Sure, all of them.”</p> +<p>“But Hal won’t have a story. He hasn’t +told one,” said Bob.</p> +<p>“Hal’s going to be the hero,” said the +Captain.</p> +<p class="align-center">THE END</p> +</div> +</div> + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Famous Flyers, by J. J. Grayson + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FAMOUS FLYERS *** + +***** This file should be named 34593-h.htm or 34593-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/4/5/9/34593/ + +Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.fadedpage.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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