“How did you feel coming down?” queried Tim, as they started back to the office after a careful survey of the wrecked Jenny.
“Pretty nervous,” admitted Ralph, “but it’s great stuff. I’d have been all right if I hadn’t hit a bump when I went into a sharp bank and the old ship just couldn’t stand the gaff. It was some trip down, though. I thought I had a ticket straight through for China.”
“That landing with the broken wing was a great piece of flying,” cut in Hunter in his quiet voice. Ralph was thrilled, for words of praise from the manager of the field meant much.
“Better come out this afternoon,” said Hunter when they reached the office, “and we’ll have another try at it.”
Tim caught the significance of the words and he wondered if Ralph sensed their meaning. After a crash the first thing for a flyer to do is to get into the air again. If he lets the effects of the crackup work on his nerves he may never be able to handle a plane again. Tim realized that his chum had been through a severe flying ordeal but he was elated that Ralph had come through in such fine shape. The next thing was to get him back into the air as soon as possible and in the meantime to keep his mind occupied with thoughts other than those of the crackup.
They were speeding into town in one of the cars owned by the News when Ralph let out a yell and Tim swerved just in time to avoid a hog which was having a hard time making up its mind in which way to go.
“One thing,” laughed Ralph when the pork menace was safely behind, “we don’t have to dodge such things up there.”
Tim purposely took Ralph to the busiest cafeteria in town where the rush to get food kept them busy for half an hour. The heavy tide of noonday traffic caught them in its swirl when they started back to the field and by the time they reached the airport, they had said scarcely a dozen words about the incident of the morning.
Hunter, wise in the ways of the air and the men who ride through its trackless lanes, had another plane warmed up on the line when they put in their appearance.
It was the work of only a few minutes for Ralph to don his heavy flying clothes. Tim thought his chum looked a little white around his lips. He wondered what thoughts were racing through Ralph’s mind. If his chum only knew it, the big test was before him.