shudder ran through the aircraft, and, scared the undercarriage wouldn't take the strain, Harry hurriedly cut the engines. Sand flew either side of the perspect, then the aircraft responded to the brakes and came to a stop.
Harry swung himself out of his seat, snatched up his gun that he had laid on the floor beside him and walked quickly to the door and looked into the cabin.
Franks sat huddled up on a seat near where Lewin stood.
Someone had cut the sleeve out of his coat and had bandaged his shoulder. His face glistened with sweat and he looked pretty bad. He was holding his .45 in his left hand.
The passengers sat motionless. They all looked at Harry as he stood in the doorway.
“Listen, you people,” he said, “no one is going to get hurt unless they act smart. Do what you're told and you're going to be okay. We're in the desert. The nearest town is a hundred miles from here so it's no use running away. I want you all out of here. Get a couple of hundred yards from the plane and sit down and wait. When we're through, the radio operator will call for help and they'll come for you. You've got nothing to worry about so long as you obey orders.” He came down to the gangway. “Open the exit door,” he said to the flight engineer. “Snap it up!”
The flight engineer got the door open and jumped down on to the sand. The other two members of the crew lowered McClure, who was returning to consciousness, down to him.
“Come on! Come on!” Harry shouted. “Get out, all of you!”
Jostling and scared, the passengers clambered out of the aircraft.
“Where's the air hostess?” Harry asked Lewin.
“She's in with the guard.”
Harry went down the gangway, stepped to one side and opened the door leading to the galley a few inches.
“Hey, girl! Come out here,” he called. “There's a passenger who wants your help.”
He half expected the guard would start shooting, but he didn't.
Hetty Collins came out. She looked at Harry, then at Lewin, her face pale, but Harry could see she was a lot less scared than he was.
“A woman's fainted up there. I'll give you a hand with her, he said. “I want her out of here.”
He walked up the gangway and got hold of the woman in the mink coat and carried her to the exit door. He handed her down to two of the men passengers, then dropped on to the sand and helped Hetty down.
“Get clear of the aircraft,” he said to the crew while Lewin stood above him in the doorway, covering them with his gun.
“Get the passengers away. When we're through you can come back and radio for help.”
The crew got the passengers organized and led them across the sand away from the aircraft. Two of the men passengers carried the woman in the mink coat; the crew helped McClure.
Sam Meeks ran up, gun in hand. His thin, rat-like face showed his excitement.
“Gee! I thought she was going to crack up when you landed her,” he said. “What's cooking?”
“Plenty,” Lewin snarled. “There's a trigger-happy guard in there with the diamonds. He's already plugged Ted.”
Meeks' mouth dropped open. Harry saw fear jump into his eyes. He had guessed right. Meeks wasn't going to be any use in tackling the guard.
II
F ranks dragged himself out of his seat and came over to the doorway. He leaned his weight against the side of the door and looked down at Harry and Meeks.
“That punk's like a streak of lightning,” he said. “I went in there with my rod in my hand and I shot at him. He got his gun out and he was firing before I got my sight on him. You're not going to take him in a hurry.”
Lewin said viciously, “I’ll take him! He's not going to stop me getting my hands on three million bucks worth of rocks.”
Harry looked at Meeks.
“Stay here and watch that bunch over there. You got the ignition key of the car?”
“Yeah,” Meeks said, backing away to watch them.
Harry swung himself up into the aircraft.
“We can't be long about this,” he said to Lewin.
Harry swung himself out of his seat, snatched up his gun that he had laid on the floor beside him and walked quickly to the door and looked into the cabin.
Franks sat huddled up on a seat near where Lewin stood.
Someone had cut the sleeve out of his coat and had bandaged his shoulder. His face glistened with sweat and he looked pretty bad. He was holding his .45 in his left hand.
The passengers sat motionless. They all looked at Harry as he stood in the doorway.
“Listen, you people,” he said, “no one is going to get hurt unless they act smart. Do what you're told and you're going to be okay. We're in the desert. The nearest town is a hundred miles from here so it's no use running away. I want you all out of here. Get a couple of hundred yards from the plane and sit down and wait. When we're through, the radio operator will call for help and they'll come for you. You've got nothing to worry about so long as you obey orders.” He came down to the gangway. “Open the exit door,” he said to the flight engineer. “Snap it up!”
The flight engineer got the door open and jumped down on to the sand. The other two members of the crew lowered McClure, who was returning to consciousness, down to him.
“Come on! Come on!” Harry shouted. “Get out, all of you!”
Jostling and scared, the passengers clambered out of the aircraft.
“Where's the air hostess?” Harry asked Lewin.
“She's in with the guard.”
Harry went down the gangway, stepped to one side and opened the door leading to the galley a few inches.
“Hey, girl! Come out here,” he called. “There's a passenger who wants your help.”
He half expected the guard would start shooting, but he didn't.
Hetty Collins came out. She looked at Harry, then at Lewin, her face pale, but Harry could see she was a lot less scared than he was.
“A woman's fainted up there. I'll give you a hand with her, he said. “I want her out of here.”
He walked up the gangway and got hold of the woman in the mink coat and carried her to the exit door. He handed her down to two of the men passengers, then dropped on to the sand and helped Hetty down.
“Get clear of the aircraft,” he said to the crew while Lewin stood above him in the doorway, covering them with his gun.
“Get the passengers away. When we're through you can come back and radio for help.”
The crew got the passengers organized and led them across the sand away from the aircraft. Two of the men passengers carried the woman in the mink coat; the crew helped McClure.
Sam Meeks ran up, gun in hand. His thin, rat-like face showed his excitement.
“Gee! I thought she was going to crack up when you landed her,” he said. “What's cooking?”
“Plenty,” Lewin snarled. “There's a trigger-happy guard in there with the diamonds. He's already plugged Ted.”
Meeks' mouth dropped open. Harry saw fear jump into his eyes. He had guessed right. Meeks wasn't going to be any use in tackling the guard.
II
F ranks dragged himself out of his seat and came over to the doorway. He leaned his weight against the side of the door and looked down at Harry and Meeks.
“That punk's like a streak of lightning,” he said. “I went in there with my rod in my hand and I shot at him. He got his gun out and he was firing before I got my sight on him. You're not going to take him in a hurry.”
Lewin said viciously, “I’ll take him! He's not going to stop me getting my hands on three million bucks worth of rocks.”
Harry looked at Meeks.
“Stay here and watch that bunch over there. You got the ignition key of the car?”
“Yeah,” Meeks said, backing away to watch them.
Harry swung himself up into the aircraft.
“We can't be long about this,” he said to Lewin.
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