Mechanic Falls High School - Pilot Yearbook (Mechanic Falls, ME)

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M. F. H. s. P1Loi1' an fine. She imagined, suddenly, that she heard a motor boat. She found she was within two thousand miles of Mel- bourne and at an altitude of twelve hundred feet. She had traveled at an average of eighty miles an hour, all the way. She should reach Australia in about seven hours, unless-that was a large word to her-the Western Syndicate would get her. She didn't intend them to but she was alone and- Marj, stop your thinking. You're a real old hen. She laughed at herself in derision. Listen, what was that? A knock in the motor! Oh, Blue Again, don't desert me now , she cried. She looked over the cockpit and found she was a bove Singapore landing field. Then sh e decided that, very likely, the Syndicate had it all planned. They probably thought she'd be afraid of a knock. I'll bet they wanted me to land in China , she thought. They think I will be afraid of the knocking and will land. Setting her teeth in her lower lip and with her eyes flashing in anger, she examined her motor. We'll cheat 'em. Yes, sir. We'll cheat 'em. At last she found the cause of the trouble. Her face went ghastly white and she gave a terrible cry. There was a time bomb set to go off in ten more minutes! Marj , she began, according to her old habit, Marj, get uo vour courage, you'll need it, every ounce. Steady yourself. Now can you drag it out? She saw that it was screwed in. just eight minutes left, too! Where was the screw driver? She took her pocket knife and started to unscrew it. At last, all screws were out and she seized the bomb and threw it over- board, thirty seconds before it ex- ploded. One hundred yards behind her was a plane whose lone pilot saw the bomb go overboard with consternation in his face. Then he turned and streaked back through the sky until he was lost to view. Now the duty was done, Marj's nerves were beyond control. Nobody would ever know how close to death she had come. After a few minutes she braced up and, rising to a higher altitude, soon landed at Sidney, Aus- tralia. She still had to reach Mel- bourne, so, after refueling, she started off. Two o'clock found her at the center of the continent. She had crossed mountains and a desert since nine o'clock. Suddenly something told her to look up. A rope ladder had been dropped from a plane above her and a man had climbed down and onto her plane. Although she guessed he intended to harm her she couldn't help admiring this stunt. Both planes were going eighty miles an hour, three thousand feet up in the air. Then she started to draw the revolver. A cool, pleasant voice said: Now, young man, don't do that 'cause I hate to hurt a man who is smaller than I. just give me the control of this boat. The tall, slender young man held a pistol in his hand as he pushed her into another seat. Her voice trembled as she answered him. I, a young man. You fresh

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20 M. F. H. dow and waved, as another mighty cheer reached her ears. As soon as' she gained altitude, the people below were only specks, and she looked ahead to watch her progress. Beside her sat Wiggles, a black rabbit, who was looking at her inquisitively, wrinkling his nose all the time. You're the only friend I've got left, old boy , she said, looking at him. It's funny, how many friends you get while your pockets are full of money, and, when it disappears, how quickly you lose them. Marjorie had been left a fortune by a relative and all her life had had many friends. Ten years later she lost the fortune and, with it, her friends. She had not known how they felt and thought they liked her for herself. During those years, she had purchased this plane and gained a pilot's license. She was now backed by a wealthy, New York man for this Australian trip. Although the only woman entered, she was, by far, the most daring. As she flew along she suddenly thought of Karl and a scornful look came to her face. They had been engaged but, when she lost her money, he came to her and said, with a light laugh: Of course, Marj, old dear, we've had lots of fun pretending to be en- gaged, but now it's different and you wouldn't expect a man-- He didn't finish. She spoke coldly: -not to want his ring back. All right. I pity the girl who wears it permanently, Karl Vondonf' She smiled as she thought of her temper. Truly she was Irish but now, she was having some fun and in her element, too. for she was a born Hyer. S. PILOT Snap out of it, Marj, or you'll land on the peak of these mountains. Of course it's too bad to lose your friends but if you win the prize of 3,500,000 you'll get some new ones and this time you be careful to whom you get en- gaged, too. She said this to herself. Then her mind became centered on her duty as she remembered what Mr. White said just before the take-off: Miss Lynn, keep your eyes open all the time, for the Western Syndicate left a note on my desk saying, that if I dared back a flyer on this flight, that flyer never would be seen again. This seems an impossible threat to you but, let me warn you, they always do what they say they will. Best o' luck, Miss Lynne. How would they attack her? Would they bomb the plane over the ocean? Or when she landed for fuel, would someone kidnap her? Well, she must trust to luck that sheld see them first. With this thought she pulled her revolver from its holster. It wasn't a dainty, pearled affair, but a sinister, regular, cowboy brand revolver and, moreover, she could use it to good advantage. She looked over the edge of the cockpit, the white waves shone in the sun. Would she sink beneath them? On the thirty-sixth hour of the Hight nothing had happened and night was coming on. As the moon rose she thought she saw a black speck to the left of her. Hearing nothing, she con- cluded that hunger caused it and, the lunch basket being opened, she and W'iggles ate supper. All the long flight her engine had run perfectly, the weather had been

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22 M. F. H. S. PILOT thing. You know I'm a girl. I wish you had broken your neck climbing down from that plane. I wish-I wish- Her voice broke. The man gazed at her in surprise and a queer look came over his face. He stammered forth. Why, you're a told me girl. You-they-you-they it was a young man piloting this plane. Oh, yes , she said scornfully, you did give me a wonderful ride. I don't suppose you know anything about the dynamite placed in this plane? Do you realize that I escaped death by one minute? But of course that wouldn't be anything. 'Plane crashes in Australia. Engine explosion. Too bad.' I can see it in the papers. now. She laughed mirthlessly. A varied group of expressions crossed his face. I-Ie drove in silence for several minutes while she stroked the little rabbit. Then, harshly. his voice broke the unbearable silence: Th e Western Syndicate has done all this to a girl, a girl with more pluck than any of the Syndicate men. I'll bet. I wish I had been more particular in securing a po- sition. You see, I'm a stunt-flyer, Harrv Bellevue. They offered me a good price to do this: said you'd killed a man and was beating it. Mariorie. after a good cry, told everything, money, friends, prize and all. After a while he said: I'm sorry, Miss. Lynne. I won't take th eir money. I You can bet on that. Here's a scheme. You're to say I'm a me- chanic picked up in Sidney. Then I'll skip. You-you'll forgive me for my part in this affair, won't you? Marj won the contest. However, the mechanic from Sidney didn't skip very fast, for Marj didn't agree with the last part of the plan. Somehow, it didn't seem to her that she was going to be without friends and money, long. Hertha B. Ridley, '33 THE VALUE OF PRAISE A little praise, some times travels a long way, when once set in motion. The editor of a big newspaper came into the ofnce one morning in an unusually pleasant frame of mind. Everybody on the staff seemed to be busy in their places and 'things were running very smoothly. He stopped, for a moment, to speak to an editorial writer. This paper would be a failure. Jones , he said enthusiastically, if it wasn't for your good articles. Naturally, Jones was pleased and inspired over a word of praise from the boss, and immediately he went to work on an article that he had been dread- ing for a week. With the words of nraise still ringing in his ears, he pro- ceeded to write the article without difficulty. When it was finished he took it to the printer. Here, Jim, set it up , he said to the head man, let's see how it looks in print. Well, this is a strong subject, jones, said the printer as he eyed the sheet. Pretty go o d article , an- swered the writer, but you know, it wouldn't be worth a penny if it wasnft