"Here's your traveling packet of gum and cotton. Better put the cotton in your ears. The noise is a little bad the first few minutes. If you think the alt.i.tude will affect your ears, chew gum while you're going up. Will you want a blanket so you can sleep?"

"I should say not," replied Sue. "I'm going to see everything there is to see."

The pilots re-entered the plane and walked up the aisle to disappear through the forward door. The cabin door was closed and made fast and the three motors came to life with a thundering roar. The big ship vibrated strongly as one motor after the other was tested until the chief pilot was sure they were ready for the four-hour flight to Chicago.

The huge biplane moved slowly as the pilot taxied it out of the hangar.

Then the tail was flipped around and the plane headed down the long runway.

The night was shattered with the powerful beat of the engines and blue tongues of flame licked around the exhausts of the wing motors.

Sue, who was next to the window, reached over and gripped Jane's hand.

Both girls had stuffed cotton in their ears and both were chewing energetically on the gum.

With rapidly increasing speed the plane rolled down the smooth runway.

The ground flashed by at an amazing speed and before either Jane or Sue realized it, the transport was winging its way over the edge of the field.

The flood light below came on, outlining the entire airport with its penetrating brilliance. The pilot banked the great biplane gently and headed away into the east.

The roar of the motors filled the cabin but, by leaning close, Jane and Sue were able to talk.

"Scared?" asked Jane.

"Not now, but my heart was in my mouth when we started. How about you?"

"I guess I felt the same way, but now it seems as though flying was the most ordinary thing in the world."

The lights of University City faded and the transport bored east into the night. Jane watched the dials on the bulkhead. The indicator for air speed pointed to 110 miles an hour while the altimeter showed they were now 1,200 feet above ground.

In a pocket at the rear of the chair ahead was a folding map which showed the route of Federated Airways from Chicago to the west coast and Jane and Sue scanned this with intense interest. Each city and emergency landing field was marked, with a brief description printed on the map.

Chapter Four

An Emergency Case

Dawn came as the tri-motor sped over the level farm lands of Iowa.

Pa.s.sengers who had been dozing roused themselves to watch the sun shoot over the horizon.

The night mists were dispelled and the fresh greenness of the corn belt in spring was unfolded below them. Wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys of farmhouses as breakfast was prepared and Jane and Sue, looking down, saw farmers about their ch.o.r.es in the farmyards.

There was a brief pause at Bellevue for refueling and then the big ship sped away on the last leg of the flight to Chicago. In another hour and a half Jane and Sue would be in the Windy City.

An elderly man two seats ahead and on the aisle had caught Jane's attention and she watched him closely. His face was pale and he appeared slightly ill. Perhaps the motion of the plane was unsettling, she thought. The flight would be over in a short time.

Jane's attention went back to the panorama below and for several minutes she paid no attention to the man ahead. When she looked at him again, she felt genuine alarm and she leaned close to Sue to speak.

"Unless I'm badly mistaken, the man two seats ahead is mighty sick."

Sue looked ahead and her eyes widened.

"He's pale as a ghost. Can't we do something?" Jane nodded and rose from her chair. It wasn't any of her business, really, but there might be something she could do. She stepped forward and leaned down.

"You look ill," she said. "I'm a trained nurse. Is there anything I can do?"

The stricken man managed to smile and his eyes spoke his thanks. Jane bent low so he could speak directly into her ear.

"Appendicitis, I fear. I've had it before, but never an attack as severe as this. How long before we'll be in Chicago?"

"Not long," replied Jane. "I'll see if I can't find something to make you more comfortable."

Jane hastened back to Sue.

"It's appendicitis," she said. "Let's see if we can find anything in the pantry to make into a compress or fix up an ice bottle. That may help check the inflammation until we get to Chicago."

While the other pa.s.sengers looked on a little startled, the girls went back to the pantry.

"Here's a bottle of cold water," said Sue.

"I've found some towels. We'll make some cold compresses."

Some one tapped her on the shoulder just then and she turned around to look into the stern face of the co-pilot.

"Pa.s.sengers are not allowed here," he said. "You'll have to go back to your seats."

Sue started to make a sharp reply, but Jane silenced her.

"The man in No. 4 is suffering from an attack of appendicitis," she explained. "We're trained nurses and thought we might find something here we could use to relieve the pain until we get to Chicago."

The grim expression on the co-pilot's face vanished.

"Why didn't you say so?"

"You didn't give us a chance," retorted Sue.

"Do you think his condition is serious?" the flyer asked Jane.

"He's pretty sick right now and he's not a young man by any means. If you can send word ahead some way to have an ambulance waiting at the field, that will help."

"I'll get a radio off at once. Is there anything I can do?"

"No, we'll do everything possible," Jane told him.

"The other pa.s.sengers seem to be a little alarmed," said Sue. "I'm going to tell them just what's up."

"Good idea. I'll have the compresses ready when you come back."