Patrols of Peril by Frederick C Read online

  Air Stories, August, 1927

  Tragedy and spitting lead fly swiftly in the wake of a joke with a startling climax on the brink of Eternity.

  S he sat on the steps of the recreation

  cocaine, but I was thinking then about the old house, Lieutenant “Farry” Fareton air hack I was driving.

  A gripped the imaginary “stick” of an “Straight ahead and close, I saw a imaginary DeHaviland and rushed to the long, thin flash, reflection of the sun, and I climax of his narrative:

  knew the kite was being flown on a steel wire.

  “Then I saw it wasn’t a bird, either. It

  Gosh! If I buzzed into that wire— zing! —it was a kite! More than a thousand feet up, but would maybe split the propeller or at least down where the San Angela patrol would miss upset the control connections. Quick as

  it. On the end of the tail was swinging a little lightning I zoomed over it, with the propeller box. I suspected right away the box was full of missing the wire by inches, and when I stalled

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  into the field here, that funny kite was hanging move excitedly.

  onto the undercarriage, where it’d got tangled,

  “That’s no check ride,” Fareton

  like I’d wanted, I’d thought I ought to bring it declared to Stevens. “Come along, Porky.”

  along, you see. After that, it wasn’t anything The pair hastened toward the ship. Its

  for the Cap to figure out where and how the propeller was already spinning, the four-smugglers had been getting their cocaine hundred-horsepower engine roaring. The across the Rio Grande—”

  plane taxied off, inclined over the fence and A snore interrupted. Other flyers on

  deadheaded east. The sting of flying grit still the “rec” building steps, likewise members of on his face, Fareton turned to Captain Horder.

  the Cantilla flight of the United States Army

  “Trouble,

  sir?”

  Air Service, were catching after-lunch naps.

  “Something’s gone wrong with

  Fareton’s recital was on for the twentieth time, McKeever and Thompson on the Silver Lode

  and they knew it by heart. The event itself, in patrol,” the Captain answered. “Reports have fact, was not yet months old. From the mouth been coming in regularly until the last one, a of one Porky Stevens issued a yawn.

  moment ago. The last report said that a strange

  “And to prove it,” Fareton hurried on,

  plane had come out of a cloudbank, Mexico-

  “I’ll go get—”

  ward. The plane opened fire on them—”

  “Throttle her!” Stevens’ bark halted

  “Opened

  fire!”

  Fareton’s stride away. “Stay where you are,

  “—opened fire with a machine gun—”

  Farry. I swear, I never knew another man like

  “Machine

  gun!”

  you, with a past composed one hundred per

  “—And the message stopped there.

  cent of narrow escapes, who takes along with The rest we’ll know when Clark and Johnson him everywhere he goes a boxful of souvenirs get back,” Captain Horder went on, his face from each and every one of said narrow pasty. “They’ve gone to hunt for McKeever escapes, just to prove he had ’em. You’re a and Thompson in the mesquite.”

  museum, all in yourself. And it’s just my luck As the Captain strode away, Fareton

  that I can’t sleep through your chatter, like the and Stevens exchanged dazed glances.

  other boys do, on account of my damn’

  “Porky, this is 1927, not 1917, any

  insomnia.”

  more. And this is the Rio Grande territory, not

  “I’ve got to get the old stories off my

  the Argonne—”

  chest,” Fareton excused himself calmly, sitting

  “I don’t get it!” Stevens cut in. “I

  again, “because I’ve got new ones coming

  haven’t even thought of a machine gun for along all the time. Hello!” he exclaimed. more’n five years. Lord, I hope there’s a

  “Hope nothing’s wrong with the morning mistake, and the boys get back safe.”

  patrol!”

  Statistics with which flying service

  Across the way the radio sergeant had

  men are familiar say that every eighth man in burst out of the shack and run quickly toward the service is killed every year. The

  Headquarters building. At the door he met government insurance bureau is not instituted Captain Horder and rattled out his message.

  for no purpose; the Border Patrol understand For a moment the two men talked fast. Then that. To the dangers of the sky their nerves are the Captain hurried out.

  immune, until the eighth man leaves his crate On the field a reassembled D. H. had

  and keeps on arching straight into the stars, been warmed up for a test by the mechanics, forever; then emotional and alcoholic orgies and several flying shavetails were about. The come.

  Captain spoke briskly to them. They began to Fareton and Stevens tramped back

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  toward the rec house silently, until Fareton like Twombly get away with all his smooth spoke.

  stuff.”

  “It reminds me, Porky. Did I ever tell

  “My hopes are dying fast,” Fareton

  you about the time I glided down in No Man’s observed, “but fighting for life. Speak of the Land, forced down, and saw a Boche coming devil, and also of angels—”

  straight at me with his hog-sticker all honed The sleek official touring-car eased to

  and stropped ? All I had was one hand grenade a stop before Headquarters building under the I’d picked off a buddy who didn’t have any guidance of Miss Juliet Horder, the Captain’s further use for it; and in the excitement I daughter. At once a uniformed man sped

  forgot to bite the plug off. There it went across the space from the rec building and sailing straight at that Boche just the same!

  received a cordial greeting from the girl.

  “All he had to do was catch it and toss

  Fareton and Stevens looked away, their eyes it back right, and I’d have blown away on the smarting with the sight, but they heard the girl breeze. My subconscious mind must have say: been working, however, because that grenade

  “I’m sorry we can’t have tea together

  happened to hit the Boche right between the today, Lieutenant Twombly—”

  eyes, and down he went—to stay, I saw to it.

  Fareton

  grinned

  in

  spite of himself and

  That was a close shave! It happens I’ve got Stevens audibly giggled.

  that grenade yet. I saved it. I’ll go get it and

  “—But if you’ll come up at six for

  show—”

  dinner, we can spend the evening together

  “Don’t do it!” Stevens roared. “Just try

  instead.”

  to show it to me, and I’ll use it proper—at Fareton and Stevens cursed softly.

  you!”

  “Oh, good afternoon, Lieutenant

  “What’s the matter with you lately,

  Fareton!”

  Porky?” Fareton came back. “You act as

  Fareton whirled, his face aglow.

  though you’d been looping on a full stomach.”

  “Afternoon, Miss Juliet! Well, well, I’ve been The question touched Stevens’ depths.

  wondering where you’ve been keeping

>   The change which blended through him was

  yourself. I used to see you come down to

  profound. The eyes he turned up at Fareton bring the Captain home around four or five in were sad.

  the afternoon, but I notice lately the Captain’s

  “You and me, we understand each been going home alone, and—”

  other,” he admitted. “We both have felt the Fareton realized that he had stumbled

  same ever since pretty Lieutenant Twombly into a conversational bog and hastily strove to was assigned to the flight two months ago—

  extricate himself.

  except that I feel worse than you do. At least,

  “I—I was just telling my friend, Porky

  Julie had you up to tea once.”

  Stevens, about the time back in 1917 when a

  “Just once,” Fareton nodded. “And Boche—”

  Twombly has tea with her every day in the

  “Oh, yes,” said the girl sweetly. “I’m

  week!”

  sure he was interested. I’ll see you at six, then,

  “I haven’t never been at all,” Porky

  Lieutenant Twombly.”

  repeated, “and I’ve got no prospects, either.

  Fareton came away dazedly as Stevens

  I’ve got sense enough to know I haven’t any pulled his arm. Stevens exploded.

  chance with her. And anyway, I promised

  “You big fool! That’s what queered

  Minnie, back in Tulsa, that I’d marry her. I you with her—your chatter. Do you think a guess I just naturally hate to see a lady’s man girl invites a man to tea to hear terrible stories

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  of how he rounded up a bandit gang with a since the cocaine smugglers were rounded up, nigger-shooter—and have him show her the

  and we know we didn’t get them all. It looked very pea he did it with? Nix!”

  like a family affair, that smuggling, and family

  “I guess I can’t help it, Porky,” Fareton affairs in Mexico get damn’ serious. The

  sighed.

  Velenzos are hot-blooded, anyway. Now that

  “And tonight it’s dinner for that slick

  the old man is in the pen, one of his sons Twombly. Curse the day that brought him to might be gunning for us out of sheer revenge.

  the flight! I wish I could—I wish I could—”

  Ever hear of a vendetta—?”

  Stevens paused, meditating. “Sometimes I

  “Against the whole Border Patrol?”

  think I’d—”

  Twombly asked skeptically.

  Abruptly he turned and walked away,

  “Certainly! When Mexicans hate, I tell

  leaving Fareton puzzled.

  you, they hate. What’s left of that little crowd hates us for breaking up the dope ring. Why THE exhaust of a powerful Lincoln motor had shouldn’t the smugglers be addicts

  been beating through the air more loudly with themselves? Hate, dope, tequila—somebody

  each passing second. Now the plane stalled crazy enough to unlimber a machine gun at into the field from due east. It taxied to a stop us—and there you are!”

  while the mechanics mobbed around it. “It sounds

  im—”

  Captain Horder hurried out of Headquarters, Fareton sliced into Twombly’s

  and close behind followed Warren, the flight comment. “Does it? Well, how do you explain surgeon.

  it? With help from all the tea you’ve drunk The two men in the D.H., who had

  recently you ought to get up a nice lavender-been searching the mesquite for McKeever

  scented theory about it!”

  and Thompson, did not at once jump out.

  Fists would have flown at that

  They had burdens to lower. Others reached up moment, had not timely interruption taken to assist. Stretchers were brought, and, sheet-away the possibility.

  covered, two bodies carried away. Fareton The buzzing of a motor was again

  sidled close while Clark and Johnson reported disturbing the air. All eyes turned upward in to the Captain.

  the direction of the approaching craft. It was

  “The D.H. they took out on patrol this

  smaller than a DeHaviland. It was not

  morning is a wreck, sir. We found it in the preparing to stall into the field, but coming mesquite, in pieces. We looked at the motor.

  down with motor roaring in a full power drive.

  The cylinders are cracked, by steel-jacketed Its nose was pointed straight at the group on bullets. We found one inside. There are the field.

  twenty-odd bullet holes through the fuselage,

  “That’s not a service plane. It hasn’t

  sir. McKeever and Thompson—by some the markings.”

  miracle. Captain, there was something of them

  “It looks like—my God above!”

  to bring back. Riddled, sir—riddled!”

  Fareton’s voice shouted the warning: “Run!”

  The Captain strode away, his face

  The plane was close now, and

  beet-red. Fareton whirled, and with the others Fareton’s startled eyes had seen a mechanical pushed questions at the two scouts. Porky device mounted in the rear cock-pit. Then a Stevens and the immaculate Twombly joined helmeted and goggled head had risen and,

  the circle together. Theories grew.

  swung around, straight at them, was the bore

  “There’s only one explanation for it,”

  of a machine-gun!

  Fareton asserted. “It’s been only a few weeks Like frightened chickens below a

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  5

  swooping hawk, the men on the ground

  “Thank Heaven, Porky, they didn’t get

  scattered. In comparison with the dynamic you!”

  sweep of the plane, their movements were far

  “Danm it, Farry, they didn’t get

  too slow.

  Twombly, either!”

  Pr-r-r-r-r! Pr-r-r-r-r!

  The field was in a hubbub. The flight

  The machine-gun spat fiery death out

  surgeon moved frantically. Those uninjured at them!

  carried into the little board-floored tents the Window-panes shattered. Bullets injured and the dead.

  planked through the corrugated tin roofs of the Under stern direction of her father,

  hangars. Little spurts of dust jumped up from Juliet Horder drove the official car off the the ground in even rows.

  field.

  And

  men

  fell!

  After the first hysterical outburst, an

  Pr-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r!

  enforced calm came into the air.

  Instantly the unknown plane zoomed

  These names and others came from the

  up, climbing again into the blue at a steep lips of Captain Horder like so many shots: angle. For a moment more it sprayed the

  “Lieutenants Twombly— Fareton—

  ground with deadly slugs; then the sputter Stevens— Jackson— Rich—!”

  stopped. With incredible rapidity the plane Alertly the men ducked from the tents

  receded.

  and responded. To them the Captain stated in On the ground three men lay still. Two

  crackling syllables:

  others were writhing in agony. A few muffled

  “Three more men are dead. Five in all

  curses were audible in the tense silence. One today! The two D.H’s which have chased the of those only wounded waved wildly, as those armed ship stand very little chance. The most unhurt rushed instinctively toward them, and they can hope to do is locate the field from shouted:

  which the armed ship came. They may not

  “Get that crate?”

  succeed at that. I'll be glad if they come back Then came the squeak and rumble of

&
nbsp; at all.

  hangar doors. Mechanics fluttered around.

  “We will stand as prepared as possible,

  Two DeHavilands rolled out. Men climbed

  under the circumstances,” the Captain went on into the cockpits, two into each plane. In an sharply, “if another attack should come. In the instant the propellers were humming in a grim meanwhile the routine of patrol confronts us.

  rhythm.

  Orders are to fly the patrols if flying is One and then the other taxied off, possible. It is not impossible yet by any banked south in pursuit of the death-dealing means. The afternoon patrol between Bitter craft, and crabbed after that mere speck in the Creek and San Angelo will fly as usual.”

  sky.

  “But—” Twombly cut in. Sharp eyes

  Lieutenant Fareton stood backed turned at him.

  against the door of Headquarters. As the

  “It happens,” the Captain went on

  hostile plane had darted down, his move had more slowly, “that both Hennings and Fulton, been to block the instinctive rush outward of who were to take the eastward this afternoon, the persons inside—particularly Miss Juliet.

  are dead. King, who was going west with

  As he stepped aside, the rush came; and he Harper, is injured. Harper will take the west hastened to aid the men who had fallen.

  alone. I will send only one man up for the He threw his arm around Porky east. I ask for a volunteer for the east patrol—

  Stevens’ shoulder.

  ”

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  6

  A chorus answered.

  I’d feel that I had some last chance with Miss

  “One man only. And understand that

  Juliet, but he’s a pretty good guy, and my the machine-gun craft may still be up.”