Providence Technical High School - Review Yearbook (Providence, RI)

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72 1930 TIIE TECH REVIEW As the man walked off, Fulton turned a little pale “around the gills.” It was too late now to right the wrong he had done. Five minutes later a big, new, shiny Fokker rose into the air like a great bird. It circled the field once then headed over wooded country. Slim Turner arrived at the field just as the plane took off. He ran into the office. “Who flew that Fokker, sir? he asked of the lieutenant. Adams!” snapped Fulton. “It just nose-dived into the Greenwood Forest,” insisted Turner. “What! My God! gasped Fulton, dropping into a chair weakly. “Get busy and start a searching party,” thundered Slim, impatient at the lieuten- ant’s delay. “Who’re you ordering anyway?” roared Fulton, glaring at the tall flyer. “Are you or are you not going to give those orders?” demanded Slim. “When I get ready. . .” Slim’s fist connected with the assistant commander’s jaw! Then Slim ran out of the office and dashed into the barracks. A few minutes later seven planes took off in an endeavor to locate the unfortunate colonel. When Turner returned to the office he was immediately placed under arrest for striking an officer. A hastily organized court martial was preparing for its dreaded ordeal. I he court had ordered Slim Turner dis- missed from the service. He had packed his things, bid goodbye to his few friends and left the airport. He could not face his father and little Jackie, so he had hired a motorboat and motored to his cabin, forty miles from the port. The cabin was stocked with enough food to last a month, so he decided to stay away until the affair blew over. The night of his dismissal Slim was listening to Jackie singing over the radio. After one of the selections, the announcer said that the police had requested him to spread the following bit of news, that “ Thomas Turner, who has recently been court martialed from the government air service has disappeared with $10,000 worth of bonds from the airport safe. All local police authorities are asked to join in the search for the flyer.” Jackie had heard the police captain tell the announcer not to say that the men knew where Slim was staying. Jackie had an idea that Slim was at the cabin and would be listening in, so he dashed over to the microphone and screamed, “Look out, Slim, they know where you are. They’re coming. . .” 1 he voice was cut off there, but Slim had heard enough to warn him that he was located. Suddenly a thought came to him, Fulton had stolen the money and had blamed it onto him. Then he speedily donned his flying togs and sped away in the boat at his wharf. As he cut through the water he had a hunch that Fulton would take to the air with the money. Well, he would take a plane and overtake the crook. It was very dark when Slim landed at the airport pier. He cautiously ran behind the line of hangars until he came to the office. A roar of an airplane motor broke upon the stillness. He ran to the field in time to see a small body being forced into one of the cock-pits. One word snapped into his brain, Jackie!” Throwing all caution to the winds he sprinted toward the plane. The pilot, hearing someone running, hastily climbed into the pit and gave her the gun. The ship roared away just as Slim got there. Turning, he dashed for the hangar, where those fast, small pursuit planes were kept. As he ran he wondered where the night crew was. Then

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1030 THE TECH REVIEW 71 Slim of the Air Mail By Merrill S. Faxon, '30 Forty uniformed men were “whooping it up as the 5:15 came puffing into the station. These men were student-pilots at a government air mail field. They piled into the cars and sang songs. Slim Turner, one of the pilots, went into another car and gazed meditatingly out of the window. At the field he had a habit of coming in late with the mail, and each time he had received a stiff boiling-out from the com- mander. Turner had returned from the recent war with a little French boy, an orphan, whom he adopted. Colonel Adams knew that Slim liked to go home over the week-end and see the boy and had not revoked the privilege, even though Turner had been late several times. Slim determined to be on time hereafter and be fair with the Colonel. As the train started Slim turned from the window and observed that a very pretty girl sat opposite him. He proceeded to flirt with her, much to her apparent dis- comfort. He drew pictures of his com- mander as a little cranky schoolteacher and held them up for her inspection. Presently a conductor announced that the next stop was Rockington, one stop before Turner’s town. The girl gathered her things together and walked to the door. Slim followed her and begged her to tell him her name. As she stepped off the train she handed him her name card. A quiet smile drew in the corners of her mouth as she turned away. Slim waved goodbye as the train pulled out and then he read the card. With a drooping jaw he read: June C. Adams Box No. 6 Rockington, M—. The Colonel’s daughter! Slim picked up a newspaper and looked over the Help Wanted columns. The assistant commander of the airport. Lieutenant Robert Fulton, had spent a very strenuous week-end. He awoke Monday morning later than usual and dressed, ate and drove his yellow roadster in great haste to the airport. He knew that the new, big Fokker plane was going to be flown by Turner — a signal honor to the lucky man, Fulton had wanted to fly the ship, but the commander had as much as told him that Slim was the better man for the job. As the car sped along, a plan formed in his mind that would “fix” Tur- ner. So well was he pleased with his plan that the accelerator met the floor boards suddenly. Upon gaining the field Fulton went in the hangar where the plane was housed. He came out a few moments later, glanced around cautiously and went toward the office. Half way there he met Colonel Adams, attired in flying togs, headed for the hangar. Is Turner here, yet? asked the com- mander. No sir. He is late again. replied Ful- ton with an I-told-you-so air. “Humph! snorted Adams, “I’ll take that Fokker up myself. The grin left Fulton’s face and a look of fear took its place. But, Colonel Adams, you can’t fly that 9» I can’t fly what? There isn’t a plane on this field that I can’t fly. Here, Harris, the colonel said, hailing a passing flyer, tell the chief mechanic to warm up that new plane. I’ll want her in a few minutes.

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1930 THE TKCII REVIEW 73 it came to him that Fulton could have easily gotten rid of them for the night’s business. When Turner got to the hangar he found, to his dismay, that the huge doors were closed and locked. He ran to all the hangars, only to find them all securely locked. He happened to glance at the hospital and saw a plane, with its engine idling, in front of the grounds. In desper- ation Slim bounded over to it. It was the paint ship! Without hesitating longer, he climbed in and took off. The warm en- gine gave him the advantage over the other ship which had just left the port. The cans of paint, stowed in the fuslcage, jumped and banged around as Slim banked and turned. Then he gained altitude and straightened out after the other crate. I he tall pilot, musing over the darkness, felt a can against his heel. With a yell he struck upon a plan. Somewhere in the fuselage there was a can of luminous paint. If he could find a can he might get near enough to the other plane to dump the contents upon it. He had read of such a thing being done. Slim flew along, opening cans of paint and spilling some on the floor to see if it was the right stuff. In order to bring the cans in the tail down to him, he dove down until a number of them slid forward, then he would straighten out. Suddenly he yelled. He had found a can of the paint. Putting the can in his coat front, he zoomed upward at a sharp angle. The cans clanged and bumped back into the tail of the plane. This moving of articles was dangerous business and it took a good pilot to keep the ship from rocking too furiously. He had an idea the other ship would fly until dawn. As he urged his ship a little faster, he saw a big, black object loom up in front of him. With a jerk, he kicked the ship over in time to prevent a crash! The dim outline of an airplane was barely visible. The plane he was chasing! Frantically he gunned his crate which responded with a burst of speed. Turner’s hands flew as he ripped off the cover of the can of paint. Slim gained on the other fellow slowly. Evidently the other pilot couldn’t hear Slim’s motor. Then as Slim was up and in back of the other, he let the can go. It sailed down and splashed over the fuselage and streaked the sides of the plane ahead. Sud- denly a white spot dove, banked, slid, and did every kind of stunt in an endeavor to loose Slim. But it was simple sport just to follow a white, conspicuous batch. Tur- ner crowded, and “rubbed wings” and at last forced the pilot to land. Just as the wheels of the two planes skimmed across a grassy meadow, the first, faint, gray fingers of dawn pointed high up into the heavens. Slim did not recognize the pilot of the spotted plane. He released the boy who told him that the aviator had the bonds with him. A short time later, a little boy and a tall, blonde aviator took off in a white spattered ship, leaving behind a bound and gagged pilot with a paint ship for com- pany. In Slim’s cabin, the two pals hid the bonds under the strainer in the sink. “I’ve got to buy more food. Somehow I have lost a lot of it, lately. I have got to see if its safe enough now to return the money. I’ll be back soon,” said Slim, the next morning. Slim left the cabin and walked toward his plane. Jackie was watching him when suddenly he saw a man round the corner of the cabin and aim a revolver at Turner’s back! Screaming a warning, the boy dashed out of the cabin and threw himself in front of the gun just as the trigger was pulled! I he boy spun half way around and slumped to the ground. Slim turned at