lunged
away into the night. The chief stewardess strode rapidly, and Jane
found it difficult to keep up with her.

"Perhaps a farmer will be attracted by the flames," she gasped as they
topped another hill.

"It's not likely. If the co-pilot was right, we're in a rather desolate
spot just north of the river. We'll keep going and see what we can
locate."

For half an hour they plodded steadily ahead until they struck a dirt
road running at right angles to their own course.

"We'll turn to the left. At least we'll be going toward Kearney," said
Miss Comstock.

They trudged a mile down the road before they came to a farmhouse. A
dog greeted them with lusty barks and the farmer threw up a window on
the second floor.

"What's going on out there?" he cried.

"We're stewardesses on the Federated Airways," Miss Comstock shouted.
"Our plane crashed about an hour ago in the hills over toward the
Platte. We've got to get to a phone so we can call a doctor and inform
the line about the accident."

"Come right in. I'll be down in a minute."

A light flashed in the room upstairs and the farmer, dressing hastily,
hurried down.

Miss Comstock almost rang the telephone off the wall in trying to
arouse the operator on the rural line, but at last got her call through
to the field at Kearney and told the night man there what had happened.

The farmer supplied them with directions for the field relief crew and
the Kearney men promised to arrive with a doctor within the hour. The
farmer's wife hastened down and insisted on making coffee and
sandwiches.

"Was anyone badly injured?" she asked.

"The chief pilot is hurt, but I don't know how seriously," replied Miss
Comstock.

"But isn't it dangerous for girls like you to be flying in those
airplanes?" asked the farmer's wife.

"It was tonight," smiled Miss Comstock, "but as a rule it is as safe as
riding in a railroad train and much safer than traveling in an
automobile. What do you think about it, Jane?"

"I think it's thrilling, but the crash tonight will be enough to last
me for the rest of my life," she replied.

"It will probably be the first and last one you'll ever have. Flying is
getting safer every day. You certainly had your baptism under fire the
first night out."

Chapter Eight

Winning Their Wings

The crew from the Kearney field arrived in a large truck and trailing
them was an ambulance with a doctor and two nurses. The farmer joined
the par