The Sky Pilot's Great Chase; Or, Jack Ralston's Dead Stick Landing

When the surgeon said this as though determined to no longer hide his identity behind a false name, Perk gave a tremendous start, and turning to Jack cried out:

“Hot diggetty dig! did you hear that, partner – he said it, the name I been tryin’ to get out for ever so long! Knowed it was somethin’ that begun with a B, didn’t I tell you? Now I c’n get some peace, anyway. An’ me always wonderin’ where I’d seen a face like you’rn, Doc. Shake hands on that.”

Of course Jack had to tell the story, and when the thrilled doctor learned how Perk had evidently saved the lives of his dear ones he again wrung the unbandaged hand of that individual with might and main, tears streaming down his cheeks.

They had decided to spend several more days at the station, so Perk would be in condition for the return trip; and there were frequent occasions for the whole story to be told on both sides.

Dr. Bahrman told them just why he had been influenced to hide himself away up in the wilderness – he had been betrayed by a cousin of his wife’s, who had once been a suitor for her hand in marriage. So cleverly had a plot been woven around him that through circumstantial evidence it seemed as though he were guilty of a forgery, and when out on bail he had been urged to flee, especially by his wife.

When he learned how Adrian’s mother was now searching for him, with good news of some sort, he decided to go back to the States with Jack, and take his chances of being freed from the odium of being a fugitive from justice.

But just the same a turn of Fortune’s wheel decided that this should not be – that having suffered for all these months from the outrageous flings of malice and hatred, things had suddenly changed for the better.

On the day before the one selected for making a start in the airship, carrying their moody captive with them, there was a sudden burst of shouting; and as Jack hurried out of the log building he was thrilled to catch the strangely familiar throbbing sound of a plane in the heavens. They stood there, every one at the station, watching the oncoming of a sky-racer; and even before it dropped down Perk had pronounced it a new-model Sikorsky Amphibian, Wasp powered, he being more or less of an authority on such matters.

But as it turned out that was only a small part of the surprise awaiting them; for no sooner had the boat settled in the river close to shore than two men landed, helping a woman and a child along. Jack saw Dr. Bahrman start to run toward them as fast as his legs could carry him; and just as he was suspecting would prove to be the case, when the woman hurriedly snatched off the goggles and helmet she had been wearing, he recognized her as the mother of little Adrian, quickly to be wrapped in the arms of her eager husband; nor did the dancing boy have to wait long ere he too was held in a close embrace.

The story Mrs. Bahrman told was like a leaf taken from some volume of fairy tales. The wicked cousin had been overtaken by the penalty for his plotting, having been in a serious road accident when his car was smashed by a train at a crossing; but before he died he had the decency to make a sworn statement before a justice of the peace, entirely exonerating Dr. Bahrman from the forgery charge that had been skillfully woven around him, so that nothing now stood in the way of the reunited family returning to their former home, and taking up their lives just where this wretched happening separated them.

Mrs. Bahrman, remembering that she had a brother in the Navy who was an efficient aviator and had made quite a name for himself, sought his assistance the very day after she and her boy had been saved from the burning tenement in Salt Lake City, he being stationed in Los Angeles at the time.

This brother being in high favor with the authorities readily secured permission to use a new Government ship just placed in his charge; and carrying an assistant pilot, along with the two Bahrmans, started over the line for Canada, the devoted wife having in some way learned that her absent mate might be found in the vicinity of the advanced northern frontier post of the Mounties.

So after all, when Jack and Perk started on the following day, it was with the knowledge that soon afterwards the Sikorsky would be following them, carrying a happy party homeward bound.

They had no trouble with their prisoner, who seemed to be of a reckless disposition, and snapping his fingers at Fate – he only said he had had a run for his money, and could afford to let matters take their course – that a man could die but once, and after all they did not treat prisoners badly at Fort Leavenworth.

Having duly delivered their man to the Federal District Attorney in Spokane who would see that he was returned to the penitentiary, Jack and Perk again waited further orders from Washington that would send them forth upon yet another flight through the clouds, following the path of duty.

notes

1

See “Wings Over the Rockies.”

2

See “Eagles of the Sky.”

3

See “Eagles of the Sky.”