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wind turbulence, but light on the controls and easy to fly. I did one circuit, for the time was short, and came in for a landing. I pulled down the lever for a little flap but she was coming down so vertically that I eased it slowly back again. In that strong wind I brought her in at fifty, and we came down a flight path that must have been close on forty-five degrees to the ground, moving forward very slowly. I rounded off too high, gave her a little throttle and floated on till the far hedge looked about right on the windscreen, and then cut it as she rolled on to the grass.
    I did another circuit and another landing. The third time I brought her down on to the grass tail up at a very slow speed over the ground, and touched the wheels. I shot a quick glance down; they were well and truly on the ground and only moving forward a few miles an hour. I throttled very carefully a little more, and we were motionless, flying at about a quarter throttle, tail well up. I held her on the ground like that for a few seconds; then a gust came and I jammed everything forward, and took off again.
    I brought her round, landed just outside the hangar where the boys were waiting to catch the wing struts, and taxied her in. It was a quarter past eight. I stopped the motor and got out of the cabin on to the ground, and helped to push her into the hangar. It was too rough a day to leave her standing unattended on the tarmac.
    The break in the clouds now was practically overhead; to the west there was blue sky with a little light cirrus. The sun, of course, was in the north-east and low down, so that it was still overcast and cold, and the wind was no less strong. I was very conscious that I had had no breakfast, but there was no time for that. I got into the old Ford with BillyMonkhouse and he started it, and drove out on the road towards the town.
    ‘With any luck we’ll get the doctor in to them this morning,’ I said. ‘If this weather holds till dinner time, we’ll be right.’

2
    When we got to the police station it was a few minutes after half past eight, and Hobart was already speaking to Mrs Hoskins at the Lewis River. Dr Turnbull was there, dressed and looking very sour. I listened with one side of my mind to what was coming out of the loudspeaker, but crossed directly to him. I said in a low tone, ‘I’ve been thinking about what you said this morning, Doctor. Would you like it if we could get in somebody to help you at the Lewis River? There’s just the chance, of course, that this clear weather may last longer than we think. It’s possible that I could put you down there, and then make a second trip, fly somebody else in. There might be time enough for that, you see.’
    The loudspeaker was saying, ‘Well, it’s a lovely day here now, Hobart. The sun’s shining and everything. The wind’s still strong, though. It looks rough out at sea, and it’s breaking very hard at the mouth of the river. I wouldn’t want to see Don try it in the boat.’
    The doctor said, ‘It’s a job that needs some help, somebody who knows what to do. The district nurse wouldn’t be able to land like that … There just isn’t anyone round here.’
    ‘How would it be if I asked Hobart to fly Dr Parkinson up here? I’d have to fly you in first, while the weather holds good. But by the time I got back he might be here, and then if it’s still clear I could fly him in to help you.’
    His face lightened. I knew what he was thinking as well as if he had told me, that in that case Parkinson would dothe operation. It would take him an hour or two to get the patient ready, or he could spin it out so long, and then there was a very good chance he wouldn’t have to do it at all. He would be the junior surgeon, and would stand by to assist Parkinson.
    ‘That’s quite a good idea,’ he said. ‘I know Parkinson. He’s got a great deal more experience than I have, with head injuries.’
    ‘Has he?’ I enquired. ‘I don’t know anything