THE 2.20 FROM DINAS .sx Start running punctual and- where are you ?sx .sx BY E. L. MALPASS .sx NO ONE has ever satisfactorily explained how a single-decker Welsh bus could have got itself into orbit .sx Shooting up over the pass a bit too carefree , and becoming airborne ?sx Caught by a sudden gust of wind ?sx A combination of the two ?sx No one seems to know .sx But the fact remains that get itself into orbit it did .sx And a fine old fuss there was about it , too .sx Here are the known facts .sx On 10th July , the bus , the 2.20 from Dinas to Llangrwl , left Dinas at two-thirty-five as usual .sx Aboard , apart from the crew , were Mrs. Megan Thomas and her five-year-old son Cadwallader ; pretty little Morfydd Owen ; Mr. Stanley Hayball and Miss Ethel Yates , hikers from Birmingham ; Price the Provisions ; and the Rev. Edwards .sx Yes , the bus set out from Dinas .sx So much is established .sx Ifor Huw Evans , Propr .sx , watched it go from the windows of the Dinas Motor Omnibus Co. Very interested , Ifor was .sx For there was his garage hand , Dai Pugh , taking a tearful farewell of Morfydd Owen .sx Morfydd , who had until recently been Ifor's typist , but was now returning to her home town as a fully-fledged schoolteacher .sx " But I'm only going fifteen miles away , " Morfydd was saying .sx " Not the end of the world , is it ?sx " " For me it is , " Dai said wretchedly , wiping his hands on his overalls preparatory to a last embrace .sx " You will not be remembering a mere garage hand when you are lording it over the Mixed Infants of Llangrwl .sx " " Silly boy , " said Morfydd .sx Though she could not help wondering whether , now she had qualified as a schoolteacher , poor little Dai was quite the man for her .sx A nice boy of course .sx But perhaps in the new world she was entering there might be boys equally nice , and with far more to offer .sx The conductor rang his bell .sx " Good-bye , Dai , " said Morfydd , smiling from the bottom step .sx " Good-bye , Morfydd .sx " He sought to enfold her in his arms .sx But he was too late .sx She was already up the bus steps , and the bus was away .sx And Morfydd Owen waving , unkissed , from the window .sx And Dai , on the pavement , knowing in his heart that Morfydd was leaving him as surely as she was leaving Dinas .sx So the bus set out for Llangrwl .sx But it never reached there !sx Somewhere , on those fifteen miles of mountain roads , it disappeared from the earthly scene .sx The first intimation that all was not well came when a Mr. Isaiah Roberts , landlord of The Traveller's Joy , rang up the Dinas Motor Omnibus Co. to ask what had happened to their damn bus .sx " Left here all right , " said Ifor .sx " Two-thirty-five , on the dot .sx " " It's supposed to leave at two-twenty .sx " " Who says so ?sx " " Your timetable .sx " " Don't want to take too much notice of those old timetables , " Ifor said , reasonably .sx " Start running punctual and where are you ?sx People get left behind , isn't it ?sx Very exasperating for one and all .sx " Exasperated is what Mr. Roberts sounded .sx " But it's over an hour late , now .sx And me due in Llangrwl ten minutes ago for a meeting of the Licensed Victualler's Association .sx " Shaken , Ifor Evans was .sx But not showing it , mind .sx " Mustn't expect too much on these Welsh roads , must we now ?sx " he said , very conciliatory .sx " Not on the M1 , are we ?sx " " And what are you going to do about it ?sx " Tendentious , Mr. Roberts sounded .sx " What do you want me to do ?sx Send out a sheriff's posse , is it ?sx " No sense of humour , that Isaiah .sx He banged down the receiver .sx Very uncivil .sx Dropped the mask , now , Ifor did .sx " Dai Pugh , " he bellowed .sx " Leap on your bicycle and scour the countryside between here and The Traveller's Joy .sx The two-twenty to Llangrwl has failed to complete her mission .sx " Paled , did Dai .sx For the two-twenty carried , for him , a cargo more precious than jewels .sx Though Mofydd Owen was , as he feared , departed out of his life , he still loved her dearly .sx Already , even as with trembling fingers he fastened his trouser clips , he was seeing her lying in some dreadful ravine , or beset by robbers , or being whisked off to Emergency Ward 10 .sx But even his imagination , luckily for him , did not visualise the awful truth- that Morfyyd Owen was already qualifying for the title of " First Woman to Enter Space .sx " " Where are we going , Mam ?sx " inquired little Cadwallader when his child mind grasped the fact that the green earth was falling away at a rate of knots .sx Where indeed ?sx Megan Thomas spoke sharply to the conductor , demanding an explanation .sx But nonplussed , the conductor was .sx A good man , mind ; knew his job .sx But out of depth in this particular instance .sx Fingered his ticket-punch nervously .sx Peered out of the window .sx Went and consulted the driver .sx " Where are we going ?sx " he echoed Cadwallader .sx " Damned if I know , boy , " said the driver .sx " But something very untoward has happened , if you ask me .sx " Immersed in the Dinas Advertiser , was the Rev. Edwards .sx Now he put down his paper , folded it , and glanced idly out of the window .sx Looked again , eyes starting from his head .sx " God bless my immortal soul , " he cried .sx " Never mind your immortal soul , " said Megan Thomas tartly .sx " Here we are traversing the heavens at the very moment when we should be running into Llangrwl bus station .sx And no one doing the first thing about it .sx " Stung , the conductor was .sx " What you expect me to do ?sx " he inquired , bitter .sx " Radio Flying Control at London Airport , is it ?sx " " Mutual recriminations will get us nowhere , " boomed the Rev. Edwards .sx " It's all very well , " commented Mr. Hayball from the back seat .sx " But Eth and me wanted to be at the Youth Hostel before dark .sx " Morfydd Owen was silent .sx But she looked down at the fast-disappearing earth , and it seemed to her that she would never see her Dai again .sx And though half an hour ago she had regarded this possibility with fortitude , it now filled her with dismay .sx Quietly she began to weep .sx . Dai , meanwhile , was pedalling furiously on the road .sx Not a sign of the bus .sx He passed The Traveller's Joy .sx At last he caught up Mr. Roberts , walking very dogged towards Llangrwl .sx " Afternoon , Mr. Roberts , " he called , polite , as he shot past .sx His spirits were rising .sx He had seen no sign of an accident .sx Therefore Mr. Roberts must have been mistaken .sx He would find the bus safe and sound in Llangrwl , and his dear Morfydd quietly having tea in her own home .sx But disappointment awaited him .sx A restive queue of people in the bus station , waiting to be transported to Dinas .sx And when he went to Morfydd's house , all he found was Morfydd's mam , working herself up proper .sx . Getting dark , now .sx The conductor switched on the lights .sx The beleaguered passengers peered out of the windows .sx Little to be seen , only a few lone stars , and the distant earth brooding in her shroud of mist .sx Megan Thomas sat tight-lipped , nursing the sleeping Cadwallader .sx Driver and conductor peered ahead into nothingness .sx On the back seat Stan Hayball embraced his Eth .sx Morfydd thought of Dai .sx The Rev. Edwards , standing at the front , looked at his forlorn flock .sx " What about a verse or two of Cwm Rhondda ?sx " he suggested hopefully .sx They looked at him , sullen .sx His heart sank .sx If the Welsh found the situation too desperate for singing , then the situation , he realised , must be desperate indeed .sx But suddenly they were roused from their lethargy .sx Something was approaching , faster , faster , a tearing hurrying blur that was past and gone in a moment , followed by a great rush of sound .sx They waved frantically .sx But the jet aircraft was already miles away , swinging down to the darkening earth .sx " It passed me at fifty thousand feet , sir .sx It was climbing steadily .sx " Group Captain Llewelyn Jones , Officer Commanding R.A.F. Station , Dinas , looked keenly at the Flying Officer who had burst so unceremoniously into his office .sx " And what did it look like , Broughtons ?sx Some sort of rocket ?sx " Flying Officer Broughtons shuffled his feet .sx " Well , actually , sir , it looked like- like a bus .sx A single-decker , " he elaborated .sx Daggers , the Group Captain looked .sx " Broughtons , " he said silkily .sx " Didn't they teach you at Cranwell that buses are earth-bound creatures ?sx Aeroplanes fly , Broughtons .sx Buses crawl .sx " Very pale , Broughtons was .sx But determined .sx " It was a bus , sir .sx They'd got the lights on .sx There were people inside .sx Waving .sx " Like gimlets , the Station Commander's eyes .sx " Did you see the indicator board ?sx " " Yes , sir .sx " " And what did it say ?sx Mystery Tour ?sx " Oh , very caustic , that Group Captain .sx But Broughtons stood his ground .sx " No , sir .sx It said Llangrwl .sx " Llewelyn Jones sat back in his chair .sx " I see .sx So you met a bus at fifty thousand feet .sx All lit up .sx Full of people waving as you went past .sx " Suddenly he crouched forward .sx " Broughtons , if I thought there were anything in Queen's Regulations to cover this , I'd have you court-martialled .sx But I know there isn't , " he ended sadly .sx " I tried to read the registration number , sir .sx But it was getting dark .sx " He waited .sx But his commanding officer appeared to have forgotten him .sx He saluted , and left the presence , very crestfallen .sx . Time passed .sx The bus climbed , and went quietly into orbit .sx Time passed .sx The Rev. Edwards' pulpit remained empty .sx And so did the arms of Dai Pugh .sx How could they be otherwise , when his beloved was circling the Poles at three-and-a-quarter-hour intervals , regular as clockwork ?sx Time passed .sx Everyone said , " Pity about Megan Thomas , isn't it , " as though they didn't really think it was a pity at all ; as , indeed , they didn't .sx LOCAL BUS DISAPPEARS announced the Dinas Advertiser .sx But the London papers ignored the whole affair .sx Ifor Evans reported his loss to the police .sx But they only tut-tutted .sx " Lost a bus , is it .sx Very careless .sx " That was their attitude .sx Now if there'd been a good old accident , they could have measured up the road and taken an interest .sx But losing a bus !sx People were always losing things .sx You'd be surprised , they said .sx So it seemed , for a time , that the whole affair would be written off as one of those unexplained mysteries , like the Marie Celeste .sx Then things began to happen .sx . But what about the voyagers ?sx you will be asking .sx Well , the Rev. Edwards had taken command .sx " Our position , " he said , " is somewhat analogous to that of a castaway on a desert island .sx Now what does such a person do ?sx He signals his position by lighting bonfires or hoisting a flag on a palm tree .sx And he tries to ensure a supply of food .sx " " Can't go lighting bonfires on this bus , " the conductor said firmly .sx " Contrary to the Company's Regulations .sx " " Of course not , " agreed the minister .sx " No , we have another way of signalling our position .sx The driver must sound his horn continuously .sx " Gave him a look , the driver did .sx " Where you think we are ?sx " he asked rudely .sx " Dinas High Street ?sx " " Do as I say , driver .sx " Very stern , the reverend gentleman was .sx So the driver peep-peeped as though he were edging his way through a herd of cows , instead of hurtling through empty space .sx " Thank you , " the Rev. Edwards said courteously .sx " Secondly , we must pool and ration our supplies of food , if any .sx " He looked at Price the Provisions , who was nursing a great basket .sx " Now , who has any food ?sx " he asked hopefully .sx Stared back did Price the Provisions , unwinking .sx " Mr. Price , I think you may be able to help us here , " said the Rev. Edwards .sx Price shook his head .sx " Intended for Plas Newydd , this lot is .sx Paid for , too .sx " He folded his arms protectively over the basket .sx Mutinous dog , thought the Rev. Edwards , who hadn't enjoyed himself so much since reading Treasure Island .sx " What have you got in that basket , Price ?sx " he roared .sx Quelled , Mr. Price pulled out a grocery list , pushed his glasses up on his nose , and began to read .sx " Six loaves , four pounds butter , two pounds marge , one tin pineapple , one York ham .sx " " Then we are saved , " cried the Rev. Edwards .sx Shyly , Morfydd Owen produced a block of chocolate .sx