Island in the Sky Page #4

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Somebody's been monkeying around

with it, that's all.

Now quit knocking your brains out

with these books.

Come on outside. D'Annunzia

has a new toy for us to play with.

I'll be out in a minute.

I want to try one more shot.

All you have to do is turn this crank

and it does the rest.

If you want to send out

just a straight SOS, you turn this switch.

If somebody's near, and you want them

to take a bearing on you...

turn the other switch this other way,

and it sends out a continuous series of "A's."

Just one dot-dash after another

until you stop cranking.

How far away can you hear that thing?

That depends. Around here,

my guess is, not very far.

There's a balloon to inflate

that's supposed to take the aerial up...

and a kite to do the same thing.

They're for use

if you're floating around on a raft.

I sure wish we were.

But there's not always wind for the kite...

and it's so cold

the balloon don't have any buoyancy.

So we'll have to try attaching

the aerial to one of those trees over there.

Let me try cranking that for a moment.

That thing's hard to turn.

It took all my strength.

The grease on the gears is half froze.

But it works. I could see the light.

Let me try it, will you?

I want to see if I can crank it.

Sonny boy, you forgot your Wheaties

this morning.

From now on we start

a coffee grinder watch.

Every 30 minutes...

somebody's gonna be cranking

that there gadget as long as he can.

It'll keep us warm, anyway.

How far did you say

you could hear that thing?

Maybe 25, 100 miles.

That's fine. It's going to be a big help.

Like nails in your coffin.

McMullen to Miller and Fitch.

Do you guys see what I see?

I'm too cold to see anything.

You're cold? I got heater trouble.

Even my windows won't stay clear.

Look up ahead on the horizon,

about 70 miles.

Maybe I been drinking

the wrong kind of liquor...

but them mountains ain't on my chart.

Mine either.

I hope Dooley didn't go through here.

With a load of ice

he'd never clear those mountains.

They ought to have a name.

Looks like we'll be naming

a lot of things from here on.

How about calling them

the Corsair Mountains?

- Okay by me.

- Mark them on your charts.

The mountains are bad enough,

but get a load of that weather behind them.

Dooley either bought it against those hills

or he slipped through somehow.

If he's yonder on the other side,

he might as well be on the moon.

Mac, come here. Quick!

To all ships, relay from Dooley.

On lake about five miles long...

near shore.

Position guessed about 600 miles...

northwest, St. Lawrence.

Get the rest of it!

No injuries...

urgently require food.

Batteries low...

probably capable...

one more...

- I can hardly read Presque Isle, Mac.

- You've got to, man. Get them to repeat.

Capable one more...

transmission for you.

Take bearings when you arrive over area.

Signed, Dooley.

That lucky Irish. Did you hear that, gang?

Did you guys hear that? That Irisher!

That beat up old balloonist. He's made it!

Hey, Wally, Fitch!

Did you guys read that message

from Presque Isle?

Yeah, man!

That Dooley. That guy. He got away with it!

Now all we gotta do is find him!

Listen, Wally, Fitch.

I'm going to send Presque Isle a message

that we're proceeding to the area.

Somewhere over them mountains,

Dooley is waiting for us.

He's alive.

- Did you get that?

- Yeah.

Send it.

Well, send it.

Blue waters

Tell me, does she still stutter?

This grass will be good

under the sleeping bags.

- Give me your lighter.

- I couldn't light it.

- You want some grass there?

- Yeah.

There you are.

Where's Lovatt?

I don't know.

I've been busy making us a roof.

- I thought he was with you.

- He went hunting.

- Hunting?

- Yeah.

He took the shotgun

and the eight shells that were with it.

The shell chamber was frozen,

but he fixed it.

He said he was hungry

and he'd get us something to eat or else...

- lf only the ammunition would work.

- How long has he been gone?

About an hour, I guess.

Where is that rifle? I barely made it myself.

Even the ammunition is frozen.

If he's downwind from us

maybe he can hear us yell.

- All together.

- Frank!

- Over there.

- Frank!

There's no future in this, Mac.

You know that?

Yeah, I know it.

- Mac.

- Yeah?

- We got to go now.

- Go back?

There's just enough to make Presque Isle.

No more.

Okay, Dusty. Take her up to 7,000.

Turn her back.

McMullen to Miller and Fitch.

See you back in Presque Isle.

Dooley!

Stankowski!

Murray!

What's the difference?

You yell your head off

and nobody pays any attention to you.

So what's the difference?

Just gotta keep walking

in a straight line, that's all...

don't go walking around in circles.

Just keep in a straight line...

like this.

You see? Pretty smart guy.

Regular old Daniel Boone.

You don't need no bushes nor trees...

you just follow these tracks back to camp

and go to sleep...

'cause sleep's the most important thing...

in the whole wide world.

What do you know?

Around and around we go,

and where we stop nobody knows.

Dooley!

I'm on a merry-go-round.

Great, big, beautiful merry-go-round...

with free ice cream.

Trouble is, I can't see anything, Dooley.

You know something, smart guy?

You're like everybody else

and expect to live forever.

You're afraid to die,

because you don't know anything about it.

That's the catch...

the catcheroo.

I'm just going to sit down here

for a little while...

right here...

rest a little while.

A guy can walk just so far, you know...

it's hard on his feet.

It's just plain easy.

Just gonna lie here,

and think about Margaret...

and a far better merry-go-round.

You don't need any picture

to remember Margaret.

Frank, I can't hit a thing.

- It's ridiculous.

- Sure you can, Margaret.

Just stop looking at me.

Pay attention to what you're doing.

But, I'd rather look at you.

I really shouldn't have this.

It'll make me chubby.

I like chubby girls...

they look like they enjoy living.

- It makes my eyes look Chinesey.

- It was your idea.

But I wanted you to have a picture of me.

I don't need a picture

to remember what you look like.

If I was ten jillion miles away,

I'd always remember.

Oh, Frank, don't be so dramatic.

I'll always remember.

Frank!

Even if it isn't clear, it will be

by the time we get up there.

Look, Montreal, wide open.

Wind west, 25. Quebec, scattered clouds.

Ought to break up here in an hour or so.

What more do you want?

I wish we knew

what the weather was en route.

McMullen says

the area's plenty tough to find.

Once you get past those mountains,

it practically all looks alike.

I'm for going right now.

We'll find it somehow.

- How do you feel about it, Stutzie?

- I think we ought to take a crack at it.

If we get lost,

it won't be the first time for any of us.

We'll fly a wide "V."

Odd man stuck for the lead.

Looks like I'm it.

Rip van Winkle, wake up.

We're going places, come on.

- I'm all excited.

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