by E. J. Craine
VII
A TAIL SPIN
"Buddy," Jim screamed as he clutched Bob by the collar. "They're goingto get away." Bob looked over the side to see what it was all about, andin a moment he gave a grunt.
"Huh!" Caldwell took in the scene, then for a second he stared at hisstep-brother, mechanically bringing Her Highness around in a halfcircle. Then Jim had an idea. He pulled his note book from his pocket,fished out a pencil, and began to scribble hastily. When he hadfinished, Bob read the message.
'They are crawling away under the hill and there's a truck, Pedro's, but it's got a green cover, and is on an old road to the west, picking them up.
The Flying Buddies.'
Caldwell grinned at the signature, and he was already guiding the planetoward the Mounties, who were still peppering the cliff with theirrifles. A few of them on both sides were edging up through the brush,but they were not firing, and the boys guessed that they expected toclose in on the bandits, feeling sure the men could not escape. Jimglanced about for a weight, but the only thing was the lunch basket, sohe caught it up, saw that the cover was secure, then tied the note onthe handle with his handkerchief so that it could be easily seen.
"Shoot," Bob shouted when he was just enough below the Canadians toallow the thing to fall close by them and not force a man to exposehimself to the guns at the further end.
The basket went over swiftly, spun around, tipped and tossed, and theysaw it land. A man secured it without difficulty and waved anacknowledgment, while two others read the message. The boys couldn't seewhat action they took, nor did they hear the shrill blast of a whistlesignaling to men stationed above the ravine. Bob brought Her Highnessabout, and sent her over so they could get a good look at the scene inthe woods. While they watched, two men slipped across the road andjumped into the back of the huge fruit truck, which was moving slowly.Caldwell clenched his fists as he realized that the fellows would surelyslip through the officers' fingers and he looked at Jim, hoping that hisstep-brother would have another idea, but Austin shrugged his shoulders.With anxious eyes Bob scanned the road. He noticed that the truck wasnearing a point which was high and narrow. On either side rain andwinter storms had dug deep gullies, leaving barely room for one vehicleof any kind to traverse it in safety.
Glancing at the altimeter, Bob read that the plane was less than athousand feet up, so he banked, tipped Her Highness' nose, and zoomed ina swift, steep climb. The needle pointed to twelve hundred, fifteen,eighteen, but Caldwell held her throttle wide open, going full blast andclimbing at top speed. The wind shrieked through the wires andthreatened to rip the wings from the fuselage, but the pilot did notstop until he was thirty-five hundred feet and some distance behind thetruck. Then he leveled off and the drama beneath them looked as if itwere being performed by moving dots and dashes. The plane was broughtabout with a protesting howl, as Caldwell looked at the globe with itstiny specks, the narrow, treacherous road and wee puffs of smoke. Hemade a swift calculation, came to a decision, and shut off the motor.
The sudden silence was punctuated by faint booms of the guns crackingfar below, and Jim looked inquiringly at his step-brother, who wassitting calmly, but flushed as Her Highness' tail dropped; nose tippedforemost, then began to spin slowly, held up by the force of the windfrom underneath, carried forward like a leaf caught in the breeze, andirresistibly drawn down by the laws of gravitation.
Jim hadn't the faintest idea what his step-brother hoped to gain by thereckless maneuver, but he saw that Bob had some sort of plan, and thatevery fibre of his tense young body was on the alert, hands and mindready to carry out his scheme. Once they struck an air-pocket thatbounced Her Highness in a most undignified manner, rolling her over onher back as if she were a kitten, but she finally tumbled out of it, andspun on and on. Once the brother's eyes met and they grinned at eachother reassuringly.
"Don't know what you're up to, Buddy, but I'm right with you," said Jim.
"Thanks. You might get your parachute in case I make a fluke. It's morelikely to be that, than it is to do any good," answered Bob, for theycould speak to each other quite easily now.
"How about your own umbrella?" Jim demanded.
"It's O. K.," answered Bob, then added, "See that road?"
"I can't help see it."
"Think there is room--I mean think it's wide enough so we can get intoit without smashing the wings?"
"Ask me another. It's pretty narrow." Jim studied the situation. "Thattruck is wide and there's quite a space on each side, but it will takesome fancy landing to get the wheels on the road and miss those trees atthe side. They grow like a wall, and as they are coming up to meet us,they look like the bottom of a nice torture chamber bristling withsharpened spikes."
"Nothing wrong with the picture. Keep your eyes on that truck ofPedro's. I'm going to try to drop in front of it. They can't get by, orturn back, and all I hope to do is delay them, but that may help, if Ido it. Keep a sharp lookout and tell me if I'm going too far eitherside. I don't want to get far ahead of them, not more than a few feet,"Bob explained.
"Bully idea, old man. If we smash up, I'll meet you at the gate. If youneed any help, I'll tell St. Peter you're a good kid and to let you in,"Jim promised gravely.
"Go on. _I'll_ have to do some tall lying to get him even to look atyou," Bob retorted. "Here goes."
He started to manipulate the controls, slowly bringing Her Highness ashe wanted her, and Jim scanned the scene ahead. He could see movement inthe brush, men crawling or running on hands and knees, but not a uniformwas in sight. He noted one thing in particular for which he wasthankful. No one seemed to have noticed the falling plane, and thatmight be in their favor. Also, he thought ruefully, it might not. If theMounties heard them dropping out of the sky, it would direct them morequickly to the road, but he thought of those men, armed to the teeth,desperate to get away, and he didn't try to imagine what they would doto the plane and the boys who threatened to frustrate their plans.
Austin had read of terrific battles with rum-runners who fought to thelast ditch for their lives and stopped at nothing, and now he knew thatif Her Highness was not hung in those spear-like pines, or wrecked onthe treacherous road, the men behind them would instantly open fire andriddle them with bullets before they could move in the cock-pit. Heglanced about for a sign of the Canadian officers, but not one did hesee, and by now they were so close to the ground that his range ofvision was very limited.
Then Bob brought Her Highness out of the spin, glided forward, her floatends scraping the edge of the truck as it slipped over, then, in anotherbreathless second they were over the road, the wheels touched theground, raced forward a few rods, slowed down, and at last came to adead stop.
"Hey, what the blazes do you think you're doing?" It was the belligerentvoice of the driver and did not sound at all like the musical tones ofPedro. Jim looked back while Bob loosened the safety strap, but did notget out of it.
"Hop over and tinker about," Bob directed, and Jim obeyed.
"You get out of the way," bellowed Pedro.
"Oh, hello, Old Man," Jim called good naturedly. "Our engine stalled.Guess we got something in it. Maybe you can give me a hand."
"I got no time. Get out of the way, fast. I'm in a hurry."
"Sorry, we won't be a minute." Bob was also struggling in the cock-pitas if something was out of order, and after a minute, during which Pedromade the air blue with curses, he got back in his seat.
"Guess we got it," he shouted. "Beastly sorry to keep you." Bob triedout the motor. It thundered smooth as silk, the plane moved a fewinches, coughed apologetically, then stopped.
"Come on, now, old girl," Bob coaxed, and again he set the motorhumming, but the propeller hung idle. Caldwell did not dare to moveforward until he was ready to fly, for there wasn't a foot to spare onthe road ahead, which curved sharply. Frantically the step-brotherstried out th
is and that, including the compass, but it didn't seem tohelp them a bit, and they were afraid to look over their shoulders atthe fuming truck-man.
"What's the matter with her?" Pedro hadn't been able to sit still amoment longer, so he climbed from his seat and strode along the gully tothe cock-pit.
"Hanged if I know. She never acted this way before," Jim answeredinnocently, and the man scowled savagely.
"What you doing here anyway?" Pedro persisted.
"Great guns," Bob looked up into the man's face. "Didn't you see usstall up there, and come down tail spinning! You are darned lucky wedidn't smash up in front of you, that would have been something to cussabout. It takes hours to clear up a busted plane and she digs a hole inthe ground ten feet deep. That would have held you up good and proper.Now, get back to your bus, we'll fix this thing as fast as we can and beout of your way."
"You kids look here." Pedro shook his fist in Bob's face. "You be out ofhere by the time I get my engine started, or I send you both to hell,fast, more fast than your plane," he promised.
"Thanks a lot, Old Timer. Every little favor is greatly appreciated,"Bob answered, and he scowled quite as fiercely as the Canuck.
"And if you send us to hell this afternoon, maybe we won't be lonesome,"Jim added. "Can you run a plane?"
"No," Pedro snapped savagely.
"Well, we can, but not if we're ghosts. Put that in your peace pipe andget on your own wave length. You don't own this end of Canada. What areyou doing here? If you can answer that, I've got another to ask you andit's right on the tip of my tongue--"
"Stick your tongue out at him," Bob suggested.
"I'd rather punch his jaw, I don't like his face. Give me that wrenchand I'll tap him for sap, he's full of it. Run along, old boy--don't youknow your onions, or haven't you got any this load?" Jim demanded.
"You get out of the way."
"You go back to your bus, you make us nervous so we can't tell whetherthe tail ensemble is in front or back--"
"You get out--" Pedro insisted, and then as the boys merely stared athim, he started toward the truck, and through a slit in the big car, Jimcaught a glimpse of a man's face, and heard a soft signaling whistle assome one called the driver to his seat. Quickly the big fellow climbedup, and Jim, realizing that trouble was close by, buckled his safetystrap, while Bob too made ready for a quick get-away.
"If I keep the engine going, it will locate us for those Mounties, butthey're afoot, or horseback, and can't come so fast," Bob whispered.
"Start the noise and I'll watch behind. If I give you a kick in theribs, lift us up," Jim replied under his breath. In a moment more theengine was racing again, then it really did stop, but this time it wasby accident and looked as if it was too surprised to go, for at thatinstant, Bob caught sight of uniforms, and a sharp command was issued.
"Climb down out of that, Pedro." The boys looked back and saw thetruck-driver's face turn green with terror. "Lively now, no funnybusiness." Pedro literally tumbled to the ground, his legs shaking as ifhe had the ague, and his teeth chattering.
"I--I wasn't touching 'em," he stammered.
"Sure, I know you didn't, but you were impolite to American citizens andyou ought to know better. Stand on your feet." Then the boys saw morethan a dozen silent figures surrounding the truck.
"I didn't lay a hand on 'em," Pedro declared.
"It's well for you that you didn't send them to hell as you promised.What are you doing here and what have you got a green cover on your busfor? You went down the line this morning and you aren't reported backyet. Come, explain yourself." The man was on horseback and evidently thechief of the outfit. Jim guessed that he was playing for a few minutesto give his men time to close in, then he snapped again, "Cuff him. Youboys let fly." Immediately the truck wagon was literally alive with menswarming over it. The doors at both ends were jerked open, and inanother second, crouching outlaws were being tumbled over each other.Some of them opened fire, but their guns were knocked out of theirhands, and in less time than it takes to tell about it, the fight wasover. Fifteen prisoners were lined up on the road, while the officerlooked at them calmly.
"Put them back in and take them along." The crowd was bundled back, thistime each was securely handcuffed, then a familiar voice called from thewoods.
"We got the last of them out of the hole, Chief. What shall we do withthem?"
"Pile them in here," the Chief answered, then, as the group camestumbling forward, the man went on, but his voice was stern, "These yourTexas friends, Bradshaw?"
"Yes sir," Bradshaw replied quickly.
"You'd better bring them to headquarters for obstructing traffic."
"All right, sir," Bradshaw agreed. "What'll we do with Her Highness? Puther under arrest?"
"Who is Her Highness?"
"The bus. I was introduced a few days ago."
"Thought United States didn't like nobility." There was a tiny smile onthe chief's lips and a twinkle in his eyes. "How do you explain thetitle, Bradshaw?"
"I don't know, sir, unless they are of Irish descent--"
"We are not," Jim declared positively.
"You've done devilment enough today to be pure-bloods," Bradshawinformed them. The chief dismounted and came close to the fuselage andheld out his hand.
"I want to thank you for your devilment, boys," he smiled and they boththought he was a grand looking man, the sort one reads about.
"We didn't do much of anything," Jim stammered.
"We like Canada," Bob added for he was less fussed and shook theofficer's hand vigorously.
"If we've helped, we're mighty glad," Jim drawled, then went on, "Butwe'd have been wash-outs if it hadn't been for Her Highness. I thinkbeing among nobility made her do her job extra well."
"No doubt. Is she all right, or has something gone wrong with her?"
"Her Highness is fine as silk," Bob declared emphatically. "Nothing isthe matter with her, Sir."
"Glad to hear it. Now, can you get her out of this trap?"
"Surely. It'll be a close shave, but she'll do it."
"All right. Wish you would and let the truck by. And, next time you arein Canada, look me up, there's something important I want to show you,"the chief told them.
"We'll be mighty glad to see you--"
"But we're not coming if it's one of those parties with all the worldlooking on," Jim added quickly. The chief laughed.
"We'll spare your feelings, but if you'll come, we'd be glad to have youdine with us some evening, only just our own crowd--all these fellowsyou know, and the cook."
"That'll be fun," Jim agreed.
"We'll let you know some night when we're not having corned-beef andcabbage. So long."
"So long." Bob opened her up, the engine thundered, the propellerwhirled madly. Her Highness slid forward, lifted, cleared the curvegracefully, zoomed and climbed. Both boys waved at the men, and a momentlater Jim saw the truck load of outlaws being driven to some unknownpoint. That is, the point was not known to the boys, but they knew itwas a good strong jail.
"It's been quite a day. Anything left in that basket?" Jim asked throughthe tube.
"Left in the basket! Well, if there is the squirrels are eating it backthere in that ravine. You nut, you threw it overboard with your note,"Bob answered.
"Great guns, so I did, and it's your Aunt's basket. Say, hop down insome town and let's buy another for her," Jim urged.
"Oh she won't mind, there's no hurry. We can get her one when we driveto North Hero," Bob objected.
"I know she won't mind, but just the same, let's get another to takeback with us, and something because we lost the napkins and dishes," Jiminsisted.
"Say, what's your rush?" Bob demanded impatiently.
"We want a basket again, don't we? Don't we want to go up tomorrow?Well, we can't lose all your aunt's baskets and expect her to pack grubstakes for us, can we?" Jim answered.
"That's so. We better get her a couple," Bob agreed quickly. Heconsulted the map. "S
t. John's is the nearest," he announced, so gravelyhe turned Her Highness' nose in the direction of the town, because, whenthe matter was put to him that way, he could see the need of keepingMrs. Fenton supplied with baskets.
