take their bags.

It was exactly three-thirty when they started for the airport. The
streets were deserted and lights were on in only a few of the homes.
Their cab swung on to a boulevard and flashed past the entrance of the
Ace studio. Janet caught only a glimpse of the plant, but she felt a
queer tightening of her heart, and she wondered if she had been wise in
deciding to leave Hollywood. But it was too late now. She had made her
decision.

At the airport the big twin-motored transport was on the ramp, its
motors idling and flickers of blue flame coming out of the exhaust under
the wing.

An attendant at the gate checked the tickets Henry Thorne held in his
hand and they were escorted to the plane where their stewardess assigned
their seats. The cabin of this ship was even more luxuriously furnished
than the one in which they had flown west and Janet settled herself
comfortably into the thickly upholstered chair. Their baggage was stowed
in the tail of the plane and then she saw the pilots come out of the
office.

They stepped into the cabin and walked up the narrow aisle to their own
compartment. Both of them were youthful and Janet wondered that they had
the marvelous skill in their hands necessary to guide the huge plane on
its flight.

Two more passengers hastened up to the gate and were escorted to the
cabin. Then the stewardess checked the list of reservations. In addition
to Henry Thorne and his party, there were only the two late-comers, both
of whom were men.

The motors roared and the plane rolled ahead, gaining speed rapidly.
Before Janet knew it they were off the ground and soaring into a half
light of the early day. A blanket of lights unfolded beneath them, but
the lights were strangely dim and the plane headed away for the
mountains, climbing steadily to have safety in crossing the dangerous
peaks.

Night faded rapidly now and they were well into the mountains at
sunrise. They were heading northeast, flying now over great stretches of
desolate land where there was nothing but sand and sagebrush, and
sometimes precious little sagebrush.

Salt Lake City was beneath them almost before they knew it and when the
plane landed there Janet and Helen got out to stretch their legs while
the crews were changed and the plane refuelled. Then they were in the
air again, climbing once more to get above the continental divide and
after that came the descent to Cheyenne. Lunch was served aboard the
plane w