Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

Every Tuesday "Yes?" Mann's languid manner de- serted him. "What is it?" "The Fielding plane will be tested at seven o'clock to-morrow morning." Pornay moved round a desk of carved oak to a little table upon which a siplion, a de- canter and glasses stood. "And if the test should be—shall I say—disappointing— the United States will not act on its option, and we'll be free to buy it." He mixed two whiskies-and-soda while speak- ing. " Then, my dear Jules, when we have it we shall sell it at a great profit to a friendly nation." "Which one?" inquired Mami. "Oh, any one that offers the highest price!" " But suppose this test flight isn't so dis- appointing and the United States decides to Duy the invention? What makes you so sure this test will fail?" "Sabotage," returned Fornay calmly. He handed over one of the glasses he had charged, and the two drank as though to a toast. On the third floor of an ofBce building hi Bleeker Street, New York City, Joseph Dure, editor of the Borna News Alliance, was at that moment frowning at a girl who was sitting on a corner of his desk. She was known as Carol Rayder, though actually she was the Baroness Irene del Trina, and she was a little slip of a thing with a piquant face, attractive to the eye in spite of a pill-box hat that ill-became her. Dure might have been an Italian, or even a Japanese. His skin was dark, his hair was black, and his eyes were as black as human eyes can be. He wore a little rat-tail moustache as black as his hair. "But, Mr. Dure," protested the girl with a decided accent, "I have done everything possible." "Not everything, baroness," corrected Durd. "There must be some other way." "My investigations pro\'e that only three people are fully informed of the de- tails of this invention," she said with a shake of her head. "They are the in- ventor—Fielding—this Major Roston we have been talking about, and General Moody. Why, what you ask is impossible!" Dure shrugged his shoulders. "I'm only relaying to you orders from our Foreign Office," he reminded her. "They say we must secure the secret of this invention, and so—we must secure it." "There's nothing I can do. These men cannot be corrupted. They are not interested in bribes." "No," purred Dure, "but nevertheless they are men, and you have been eminently successful in the past." "This case is very different. I don't know where to begin." "You must manage to meet at least one of them. The invention is to be tested at Claybum Field, on Long Island, to-morrow morning at seven o'clock. Perhaps that may help you." He raised one of her gloved hands to his lips with exaggerated courtliness, and she slid from the desk and went out from the room. THE TEST FLIGHT Major Roston stepped down his car on the Claybum n WHEN from _ Field at a quarter to seven next morning, a full-sized bomber was standing on the concrete and Walter Fielding, the inventor of the receiver which was to enable it to travel with electrical energy picked up from a power-house, was uridemeath its metal fuselage, busy with a wrench. Fielding was in overalls, but he had too clever a face to look like an ordinary mechanic. He was a man of considerable bulk with strong features and a pair of observant grey eyes. Roston was having a word with him when an eager-faced young fellow in the uniform of a lieutenant of the Air Corps came nmning over from the main build- ing and saluted. "Good-morning, major," he said. "Good- morning, Mr. Fielding." BOY'S CINEMA "Good-morning. Gray," said Rosl-on. "All ready to take off?''^ "Yes, sir," declared the young lieuten- ant with enthusiasm, "and I've pot a hunch this ship is going to make history. I want to thank you for selecting me io take her up." "Don't thank me." returned Roston with a flip of his hand. "I picked the best man for the job." Gray thanked him for that compliment, too. "Well, you'd better get ready." A long grey tourer swept in at the gates of the field as the young lieutenant went off towards the pilots'-room, and from it General Moody and Colonel Whalen alighted. The general pointed to the power-house, with its twin masts, then led the way over to the machine where he introduced Fielding. "Well, sir," said Roston, "we're all ready." The colonel walked all round the bomber on a tour of inspection, and then Lieuten- ant Gray reappeared in flying kit. He climbed into the cockpit and settled down at the controls, and Roston climbed on to a wing to have a last few words with him. "All set. Gray?" he asked. "Yes, sir," replied the lieutenant happily. " Well, take her up to five thousand and put her through her paces." "Right, sir." "I'll keep in touch with you from the control-room." "Yes, sir." "And don't reach for your gas throttle. Remember this ship runs like a trolley- car." Gray grinned. "I always did want to be a motor- man," he said. "Good luck to you." Roston punched him on the shoulder and descended to the others. He gave a signal and mechanics stood back. The motor of the bomber burst into activity with very little noise, the pro- peller whirled, and off went the machine across the field and rose into the air. "Major," said the general, "in a few minutes we'll know what it will do." "Yes, sir," agreed Roston. "And now, if youT! €Tcuse me, I'll go into the control- room and kee)) in touch with Gray." The general told him to go ahead. "We'll join you in just a few minutes." he said. The bomber banked, turned, and climbed. Again and again it circuited the field, and at an altitude of a thousand foe*/ it could be seen but not heard. "Listen!" exclaimed Colonel Whalen in astonishment. "Not a sound!" Lieutenant Gray, in the cockpit of the machine, grinned with sheer delight and climbed still higher. Major Roston went into the control-room and sat down at a table upon which there was a wireless set with an exposed loudspeaker, and a clock, as well as a telephone that looked like an ordinary one but was associated with other electrical instruments in the room. The wireless operator—a sergeant in the Air Corps—picked up the telephone and spoke into it. " Major Roston calling Lieutenant Grav," he said. " Major Roston calling Lieutenant Gray. Lieutenant Gray, come in, please.' The voice of the lieutenant issued from the loudspeaker: "Lieutenant Gray to Major Roston. Go ahead, plea.se." The operator handed the telephone to Roston, who asked: "How is it working. Gray?" "It's uncanny," replied that elated pilot. "I can hardly believe it." "Report your speed and altitude." "Air speed one-ninety—altitude fortv- one hundred." " Climb to fifteen thousand, shut ofT your power, and nose her into a dive Bring her out at five." "Yes, sir." General Moody v/alked into the room with Colonel Whalen and Walter Fielding. "I told him," said Roston, "to climb to fifteen thousand, shut off his power, and nose her into a dive." Away over the far end of the field the bomber fell through the air for nearly ten thousand feet, then flattened out" and sailed above the power-house on a level keel. The pilot's voice rang out from the loudspeaker: "Lieutenant Gray calling Major Roston, Come in, please." A full-sized bomber was standing on the concrete, and Walter Fielding was under- neath its metal fuselage, busy with a wrench November 4th, 1»9?.