Medium Boiled

by Thomson Burtis

The big De Haviland bombing plane was a little more than eight thousand feet high, and “Shag” Moran, its pilot, had an excellent view of a considerable portion of south Texas. His big body was hunched deep into the front cockpit to avoid the terrific airblast which swept back from the propeller, and his black eyes alternated the maze of unfamiliar instruments before him and the unending desert of mesquite below. In long, gray-green waves the chaparral billowed away to the horizon on every side, and there was not so much as a wisp of smoke to indicate that a living thing inhabitated that trackless waste, a mile and a half below. It was a sight calculated to make any pilot concentrate on his motor, for there was no possible landing field below, in case that twelve-cylinder Liberty ahead should start to miss. To Shag Moran, however, the very ugliness and desolation of it was a pleasant thrill—a constant reminder of where he was going, and why. Even the thought of himself, alone in a world of his own, was delightful, for the time being. It was the visible evidence of the fact that he had attained combined objectives for which he had dared not hope, three months before. “First Lieutenant John Moran, of the McMullen flight of the Border patrol—” He mouthed the words with leaping heart us his eyes swept the wastes below him, which seemed to epitomize all the romance and danger of the job he was on his way to do. He was bound for the border. More than that, he was to be a member of the blue ribbon outfit of the Army Air Service, the Border patrol. And as the last ingredient of what he conceived to be flyer’s paradise, he was to be one of the McMullen flight of that patrol—the flight with the finest record along the Rio Grande. The miracle—for miracle it was—was still unreal to him. Of course, they were ordering extra men to the patrol. The underground gossip, which was running like wildfire through the Air Service, was that ⸺ was due to pop along the Border. The smuggling in of aliens had reached tremendous proportions, and the guarded conversation of higher offices was to the effect that one of the largest, nerviest and wealthiest rings which had ever operated in Texas was due for a roundup.

36 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 14, 2023

About the author

Henry Thomson Burtis was born in Brooklyn, New York. After serving as a lieutenant in US Army Air Service and as a member of the aerial border patrol, Burtis worked as a newspaper reporter before becoming a writer. He wrote more than two hundred stories for pulp magazines such as Adventure as well as over 20 novels, most of which had an aviation theme and were written for children. Many of his stories appeared in The American Boy. In Old Oklahoma was one of several films that were adapted from his short stories.

Thomson Burtis died in Santa Monica, California, on April 24, 1971.

Reviews

[Bouchra Erraji · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Medium Boiled" by Thomson Burtis is a captivating book that effortlessly blends mystery, suspense, and classic detective fiction. Set in a gritty urban landscape, this novel features a flawed yet relatable protagonist, Detective Jack Lancaster. Burtis's concise and evocative writing style creates an immersive atmosphere, while the intricate plot keeps readers engaged with unexpected twists. Though the pacing can be uneven and some subplots are left open-ended, "Medium Boiled" delivers a thrilling experience that will satisfy fans of the genre.