Then, hardly able to withstand the numbing12 coldness of the water, he allowed himself to float to the surface.
Taking in copious13 draughts14 of the pure night-air, Derek floated impassively until the instinct of self-preservation urged him to make for the bank.
Silhouetted15 against the glare of the concealed16 searchlights were the figures of a score or more of men. Towards them the crashed pilot struck out feebly, until, to his unbounded relief, he saw two men plunging17 into the water to his assistance.
"Sorry, chum!" shouted a voice, as a pair of hands grasped him under the shoulders. "We thought you were a bloomin' Boche. You'll be all right in 'arf a mo'."
Derek could not reply. He was temporarily speechless, but he was heartily18 glad of the assistance of the men who had swum out to his aid. Then he was dimly conscious of his feet coming in contact with the muddy bottom and willing hands helping19 him up the steeply-rising bank.
His senses returning, Daventry was able to take a fairly-comprehensive view of the situation. He was standing20 on the edge of a large reservoir. In the centre, looming22 up in the reflected glare of the still fiercely-burning Gotha, was the tail of his trusty Dromedary, resembling an obelisk23 to commemorate24 the aerial encounter. A short distance away was a searchlight, its beams slowly sweeping25 the sky, while, standing out against the rays, was the gaunt muzzle26 of a heaven-directed anti-aircraft gun, ready for instant action. Round the weapon were the gunners, seemingly oblivious27 to the British pilot's presence, their whole attention centred upon the patch of luminosity that swung slowly to and fro across the murky28 sky. Other searchlights were also trained upwards29 in the hope of spotting yet other undesirable30 aerial visitors from Hunland.
A quarter of a mile away a red glow marked the spot where the Gotha had crashed, although the actual wreckage was hidden by a considerable concourse of people, both military and civilian31, who signified their delight at the raider's downfall by prolonged and lusty cheers.
An anti-aircraft officer, his features partly hidden by the upturned collar of his "British warm", hurried up to the spot where Derek was standing.
"Sorry, old man!" he exclaimed apologetically. "I was responsible for bringing you down, I'm afraid. Didn't know that any of our machines were up. No telephone message came through to us. I hadn't a chance to distinguish the markings on your plane. Deuced sorry—very!"
"There's little harm done," replied Derek as well as his chattering32 teeth would allow. "My fault entirely33. I ought to have——"
"No fear!" replied the anti-aircraft man. "My mistake absolutely. Here; it's no use arguing the point about responsibility. You're coming back to our mess and to get a fresh rig-out."
Up dashed a closed-in motor-car. Into this Derek was assisted, the battery captain accompanying him, and amid the cheers of the now dense34 crowd of sightseers the destroyer of the Gotha was borne away.
A hot bath and a change of clothing provided by willing hands quickly restored Derek to an almost normal condition—but not quite. Pardonably he was excited at the thought of having accomplished35 a good deed, but in reply to numerous congratulations he frankly36 stated that it was a piece of sheer good luck.
News of the destruction of the raider and the victor's crash into the reservoir had been promptly37 telephoned to Torringham aerodrome, and in reply came the curtly-official message:—
"From O.W. to Second-Lieutenant38 D. Daventry, R.A.F.—Await arrival of salvage-party. Forward report forthwith—Ack, ack, ack."
The last three words, be it understood, do not bear any relationship to the Teutonic "Hoch, hoch, hoch", but are the usual official way of indicating that a telegraphic or telephonic message is ended.
Generally speaking, the smaller the mess the more hospitably39 strangers are treated, and at Sisternbury there was no exception to the rule. Although the mess was composed of a captain, a lieutenant, and two subalterns only, the officers did everything they could for the comfort of the crashed pilot.
In spite of the fact that it was early morning and Derek had had very little sleep during the last twenty hours, the young officer tossed restlessly on his bed. The events of the midnight pursuit and its startling finish were photographed so vividly40 on his brain that he could not banish41 the mental vision of the Gotha streaming earthwards in flames. Then, just as Daventry was falling into a fitful slumber42, he was awakened43 by a batman bringing him a large cup of hot, sugarless tea, with the announcement that it was eight o'clock and that the salvage-party had arrived.
The salvage-party consisted of a dozen air-mechanics and a couple of corporals and a sergeant44, who had come from Torringham on a large R.A.F. lorry, but with them came an unofficial party made up of almost every officer not on duty and as many on duty who could furnish even the flimsiest pretext45 for joining the "joy-riders".
Having submitted to the many and varied46 congratulations and caustic47 remarks of his brother officers, Derek was taken to the spot where the Gotha crashed. Already sentries48 had been posted and a wire fence erected49 around the calcined debris50 of the huge aeroplane, for it was imperative51 that nothing should be disturbed until scientific and technical examinations had been made by qualified52 experts.
The motors had fallen with such force that they had made a hole five feet in depth. Thirty yards away were the battered53 remains54 of a machine-gun, while other debris had been discovered half a mile from the main wreckage. The Gotha had had a crew of five men, their corpses55, horribly burnt and battered, being found at widely different distances. These had already been removed to be given a military funeral, for, notwithstanding the undoubtedly56 cowardly methods adopted by Hun raiders, the German airmen were acting57 under orders, and had met their fate in much the same way as soldiers on the field of battle.
As for the poor old Dromedary, it looked a pitiable object when removed from the reservoir. Never again would the battered object soar proudly through the air. As a fighting-machine its days were ended. Its fate, after the more important parts had been removed, was to be burnt.
"I think I can claim the old prop58.," remarked Derek to a brother officer. "I'll get a clock fitted to it and send it home to my people. It will look all right in a hall, won't it?"
So the badly-chipped propeller59 was removed and placed in the lorry until it could be converted into a novel timepiece. Then, having seen the valuable portions of the crashed Dromedary safely in the huge petrol-drawn vehicle, Derek bade farewell to his newly-found friends of the Sisternbury Anti-aircraft Force and was motored back to Torringham.
It was a sort of triumphal progress, for the now thoroughly-excited officers, jubilant at the idea that the raider had fallen a victim to one of their depot60, were "letting themselves go" with no uncertain voice.
With motor-horns adding to the din21, and a tattoo61 of sticks beating the covers of the cars, the motor cavalcade62 swept into the aerodrome, where Derek, taking to his heels, fled precipitately63 to his quarters.
It was not long before the C.O. sent for the victorious64 pilot.
"In case you may be suffering from swelled65 head, Mr. Daventry," he remarked, at the conclusion of a congratulatory interview, "I think we'll have you posted for active service in France. That, I think, is a fitting reward, and I hope that you'll recognize that it is so. Meanwhile I must warn you that on no account must your name figure in the press. It is an unwritten law in the R.A.F. that individuality should be eliminated as far as possible, and the undoubted honour shared by the unit to which you belong."
Within a week Derek's orders to proceed across Channel came through. His field-kit was soon packed, and after a couple of days' leave Daventry found himself at Richborough, en route for Dunkirk.
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1
feverishly
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| adv. 兴奋地 | |
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buckle
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| n.扣子，带扣；v.把...扣住，由于压力而弯曲 | |
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asphyxiating
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| v.渴望的，有抱负的，追求名誉或地位的( aspirant的现在分词 )；有志向或渴望获得…的人 | |
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scrambling
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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extricate
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| v.拯救，救出；解脱 | |
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tangle
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| n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱 | |
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wreckage
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| n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏 | |
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encompassing
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| v.围绕( encompass的现在分词 )；包围；包含；包括 | |
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9
severed
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| v.切断，断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 )；断，裂 | |
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sinuous
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| adj.蜿蜒的，迂回的 | |
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11
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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12
numbing
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| adj.使麻木的，使失去感觉的v.使麻木，使麻痹( numb的现在分词 ) | |
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13
copious
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| adj.丰富的，大量的 | |
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14
draughts
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| n. <英>国际跳棋 | |
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15
silhouetted
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| 显出轮廓的，显示影像的 | |
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16
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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17
plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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18
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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19
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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20
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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21
din
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| n.喧闹声，嘈杂声 | |
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22
looming
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| n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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23
obelisk
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| n.方尖塔 | |
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24
commemorate
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| vt.纪念，庆祝 | |
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25
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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26
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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27
oblivious
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| adj.易忘的，遗忘的，忘却的，健忘的 | |
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28
murky
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| adj.黑暗的，朦胧的；adv.阴暗地，混浊地；n.阴暗；昏暗 | |
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29
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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30
undesirable
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| adj.不受欢迎的，不良的，不合意的，讨厌的；n.不受欢迎的人，不良分子 | |
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31
civilian
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| adj.平民的，民用的，民众的 | |
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32
chattering
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| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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33
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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34
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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35
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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36
frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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38
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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39
hospitably
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| 亲切地，招待周到地，善于款待地 | |
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40
vividly
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| adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地 | |
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41
banish
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| vt.放逐，驱逐；消除，排除 | |
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42
slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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43
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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44
sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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45
pretext
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| n.借口，托词 | |
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46
varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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47
caustic
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| adj.刻薄的，腐蚀性的 | |
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48
sentries
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| 哨兵，步兵( sentry的名词复数 ) | |
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49
ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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50
debris
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| n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片 | |
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51
imperative
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| n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的 | |
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52
qualified
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| adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的 | |
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53
battered
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| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
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54
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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55
corpses
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| n.死尸，尸体( corpse的名词复数 ) | |
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56
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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57
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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58
prop
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| vt.支撑；n.支柱，支撑物；支持者，靠山 | |
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59
propeller
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| n.螺旋桨，推进器 | |
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60
depot
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| n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站 | |
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61
tattoo
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| n.纹身，(皮肤上的)刺花纹；vt.刺花纹于 | |
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62
cavalcade
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| n.车队等的行列 | |
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63
precipitately
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| adv.猛进地 | |
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64
victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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65
swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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