The Argosy, Vol. 90 No. 1 — page 28: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

22 THE and cons, he grasped at it with enthusiasm. Eagerly he burst out: “How about an aeroplane, sir?” “Ha, an aeroplane!” With the excla- mation the commandant’s face cleared, and for a moment he contemplated the idea as an inspiration of Providence. Then he shook his head. ‘Impossible! Why, man, the Woodruff is two hundred miles on her way to Havana by now!” “T could make that easily, sir; I’ve flown more than that before now.” ‘And if you should miss her?” “With a hydro, sir, I could come down alongside and be picked up.” ‘“ Nonsense, boy!” the commandant snapped testily at his thoughtless enthusi- asm. ‘I don’t mean that. Think, man, think. In any case, with a sea running like to-day’s, you’d be smashed to splinters long before you could ever be picked up. But what I mean is, suppose you should miss her entirely? ‘From what I know of those things, your course is a matter of guesswork, any- way, and you have to keep checking up by landmarks all the time. Out at sea you’d lose yourself in ten minutes. And when you’ve missed her, how are you coming back? Two hundred out and two hundred back, to say nothing if another hundred or so lost in overhauling her and scouting around. Why, man, there’s not a machine in the service capable of making that. Cer- tainly not without special preparation. No, sir; the chance is too desperate for me to order any man out on a thing like that.” Rankin’s enthusiasm, fell with a cruel slump, and all the happy eagerness died out of his face. All these things he had overlooked in the first flush of his inspira- tion; and they were all true, too. The older man, keen old veteran, with practised anticipation of all possible even- tualities, had put his finger with unerring accuracy on each of the weak spots. Nor did he magnify their weakness at all. The thing was desperate, a forlorn hope. Rankin turned them dully over in his mind, looking for a possible saving clause, but not a one could he find. The eagerness then died from his face. But slowly its ARGOSY. place began to be taken by a cold deter- mination. ‘““I—I’d like to volunteer, sir, anyhow —to convey a warning to my ship.” “Hey, what? What’s that? You'd like to volunteer?” The snappy irritation in the commandant’s voice was tempered with a sudden human understanding. He looked with fierce appraisal into the pale, hard-set face. The drama had crystallized down to just the two of them, two strong men look- ing into each other’s wide eyes with a single vital question-mark between them. The rest of the scene and the men in it were forgotten as far as these two were con- cerned. But the others stood in strained, expectant positions as though they had been frozen. The signaler ceased from his incessant crackle to hang on the com- mandant’s words. Twenty seconds—thirty —a full minute; and only the broken, noisy breathing of somebody was heard. Then the commandant shook his head slow- ly, regretfully. ‘Impossible, boy! I can’t do it! No, we must find some other way. Besides ”— there was a world of kindliness in the tone —‘‘ you see—I’m sorry—but you’ve been officially declared ‘unfit for aviation.’ I couldn’t let you go, even if I could con- template your plan for a second. No, no, my boy, I’m sorry.” He walked-slowly to the door. There he turned suddenly, and the voice was snap- pily terse again. “‘ Signaler! What have you stopped for? Keep calling, and don’t stop for anything under any circumstances. If your wrist gives out, get a relay; and let me know immediately as soon as you connect. Im- mediately, by cycle orderly—Mr. Tracy, will you see to that? And my compliments to the senior officers of the yard to confer with me in my office immediately, please.” The officer of the watch saluted. The commandant strode from the room. And in the immediately following swift bustle Rankin was the only man with nothing on his hands. But his:soul was full of bitter disappoint- ment and heart-burning. ‘“ Unfit!’’ The reminder was a cruel stab into his enthusi- asm, however kindly it had been put. He oO comicbooks CO