"Does it hurt much, Dave? I'm awfully5 sorry. I didn't mean it to work quite that way."
Dave steeled himself against the pain and gingerly turned his head to see Freddy Farmer stretched out on the straw a couple of feet from him. There was a spot of dried blood on the English youth's pale face. His eyes were steady, however. And a grin covered up any aftermath pain he might be feeling. Dave made his own lips grin back.
"What happened?" he grunted7. "Were we on a ship and got torpedoed8? No, wait! I remember, now. You got that guy mad, and he slugged you. I tried to slug him but darn near broke my hand. He slugged me right back, and broke my head, I think. It feels that way. Does it look broken?"
"Not from here, Dave," Freddy said. "You've got a bit of a cut on your jaw9, but outside of that you look fit enough. I'm awfully sorry, though, Dave. It seemed rather a bright idea at the time."
Dave slowly pushed himself up to a sitting position, and then held his head with his hands until things stopped whirling around. When they stopped he saw that he was in an old unused stable. There was a window on both sides, but too high for him to look out without standing10 on something. The heavy doors in front had been rolled shut.
"There's an armed guard outside," Freddy Farmer cautioned. "So you'd better not try to open the doors."
"Where are we, anyway?" Dave asked. "I guess you weren't out cold as long as I've been. What time is it...? Holy smoke! Is that red glow a sunset?"
Without waiting for Freddy to answer Dave looked at his wrist watch. The hands said fifteen minutes after five. In the evening, or morning?
"Evening," Freddy said, guessing his thoughts. "We've been here all day. I regained11 consciousness for a moment as they were throwing us inside, here. That's when I saw the armed guard. Then everything went black again. I woke up just a few seconds before you did, I guess. Hear those plane engines? We must be pretty close to a Nazi12 airfield13."
Dave cocked his ear to the sound of engines being warmed up, and smiled sadly at Freddy Farmer.
"Now I know what they mean when they say, so near yet so far away," he grunted. "But look, Freddy! What was all that crazy business about General von Peiplow, anyway?"
The English youth shrugged14 and sighed heavily.
"I got to thinking," he said after a moment or so. "I mean, there was no telling what that madman might do next. And he is mad, Dave!"
"You're telling me?" the Yank grunted. "You could almost see the bats flying out of his belfry! He's crazy as a coot, and dangerous as a bushel basket of cobras."
"Exactly!" Freddy agreed. "And I was afraid you were going to sting him into losing his temper completely. So...."
"Me sting him?" Dave echoed with a short laugh. "Little man, you weren't exactly complimenting the guy, you know. He didn't like that great big ox crack even a little bit."
"That was stupid of me, wasn't it!" Freddy grunted with a nod. "But it just popped off my lips. As I said, though, I got to thinking. Realizing that he'd been up there in the air and had made no effort to slaughter16 us ... that is, until you pulled that stunt17 to help Barker and me escape ... it struck me that he must have had a good reason. And it struck me right after that, that he must have been under orders to capture us alive. It was a wild guess, of course. So I spoke18 of General von Peiplow as I did. I thought that might stop him from going haywire, and killing19 us in his rage. I think it did stop him, Dave. The look I saw in his eyes seemed to me to say that I had struck the nail on the head. I mean, that he really was under orders to deliver us to von Peiplow alive."
Dave grunted and gingerly fingered his aching jaw.
"Well, maybe so," he said. "Maybe you stopped him from going the limit on us. But, boy, he went plenty far enough for me, I can tell you. If he'd belted me twice, I.... But maybe he did. I sure feel as if I were still bouncing."
"Well, I really am sorry for egging him on too much," Freddy said. "But at least it got us rid of him."
"Or him rid of us!" Dave grunted. "But look, Freddy. Think you can get up on your feet and navigate20?"
"I can manage it, yes," the English youth said and got slowly up on his feet. "But where do you expect to navigate to?"
"To that old saw-horse in the corner for one thing," Dave said, pointing. "We'll carry it over under the window, there, and take a look outside. I'm curious to get a look at the scenery around here."
"Wait, Dave!" Freddy cried as the Yank started over toward the saw-horse in the corner. "Are you crazy?"
Dave stopped and turned to look at his pal6.
"No more than usual," he said. "What's eating you, though?"
"Never trust a Nazi!" Freddy said sharply. "Good grief, haven't you learned that, yet?"
"Huh?" Dave echoed with a frown. "Hey, what the heck are you going to do? Pole vault21 through the window? It's too small, fellow. You'd never make it."
Freddy Farmer had picked up a weather rusted22 old pitch fork on the stable floor. He pulled off his helmet and hung it over the prongs of the fork. Then as Dave stared wide eyed he walked over to the window and pushed the helmet up above the window sill level. A split second later there came the crack of a high powered rifle from somewhere outside, and a metallic23 wasp24 whined25 in through the window opening and went plunk into a sturdy wall stud on the far side of the stable.
Freddy lowered the pitch fork and looked silently at Dave. The Yank swallowed hard and grinned sheepishly.
"Like I've always said," he murmured, "you're the one guy I like to have around all the time. Thanks, pal. That makes me the dumb bunny."
"I fancy you'll learn, if the war lasts long enough!" Freddy grunted. "Not that you would have been shot. Only to scare you, and stop you from trying to escape through the windows. However, I don't trust Nazis26. Particularly their marksmanship. So sit down and rest, Dave. All we can do is wait."
The two youths dropped back on the straw and stared gloomily off into space. Eventually Freddy broke the silence that had settled over them.
"Do you think that's true about Barker, Dave?" he asked. "I mean, what Comstadt said?"
"I don't know, Freddy," Dave replied with a frown. "Maybe he was lying when he said Barker was dead. Maybe he wasn't. The last look I had at Barker he was out in the clear and well on his way. Of course, though, he might have run into some other Nazi ships that I didn't see. There's one thing, though, that we've got to face, Freddy. Or have you thought of it, too?"
"Barker's pictures not telling British Intelligence anything they want to know?" the English youth replied. "Yes, I've thought of that. And I'm just a little afraid, Dave, that it may be true, even if he does get back to England. I didn't see anything with my own eyes that made any sense. To tell you the truth, I think we could take pictures of this area all day long and not snap a blessed thing except their blasted camouflage27 stuff."
"That's the way I figure it, too," Dave said in a dejected voice. "So, whether or not Barker got back ... and I sure hope like everything that he did ... I don't think it will make any difference. I mean, it looks like it's up to us, Freddy. You and me, and nobody to help us."
"Yes, I fancy you're right," Freddy murmured. "You don't happen to have an idea what we do next, do you?"
"No," Dave groaned28. "The old brain's a blank. I guess we've just got to sit here, and.... No! The heck we have! I'll get us some attention, and I'll get it in a hurry, too. Get over by those rolling doors, Freddy. I got a bright idea."
"You tell it to me, first!" Freddy said and didn't move. "Your last bright idea wasn't so bright, you know."
"But this one is!" Dave cried and pulled a clip of matches from his pocket. "Look! We're not dead, are we? No. They didn't shoot us, did they? No. They just put us on ice in here until they get darn good and ready to do something about it. Well, I'm going to make them get good and ready in a hurry. I'm going to set this straw on fire, pal. You wait. They'll come for us in a hurry."
"But maybe they won't!" the English youth protested. "And, besides, this straw is pretty old and damp."
"So much the better," Dave said, and struck a match. "There'll be a lot of smoke, and no fire. Get over by the doors and down low where you won't have any trouble breathing. Heck, Freddy! Somebody's got to start the ball rolling. Why not us? We can't wait here until the darn war's over. Even if it's only Pumpkin29 Face Comstadt who comes, that'll be better than waiting here chewing our nails off. Stand back, pal! Here goes the match!"
Dave stuck the lighted match down under some straw that looked fairly dry. The flame came down to heat up his fingers, but the straw didn't catch. He dropped the burnt stub and struck three or four matches at the same time. The larger flame did the trick. The straw caught on fire and got going well enough to keep going when it reached the damp straw. Smoke started curling upward, and by the time Dave had joined Freddy over by the door a good cloud of the stuff was beginning to pour out the window on the right.
"Perfect!" Dave chuckled30. "There's enough wind coming in the opposite window to keep it going. There! Hear that yelling outside? They've seen the smoke. And, listen! Here they come! What did I tell you, pal?"
"Oh, I expected them to come!" Freddy grunted. "It's when they get here that I'm wondering about. I...."
The rest was cut off short as the doors were rolled back and a figure came rushing inside. The figure tripped over the crouching31 boys, bawled32 out a frightened curse, and fell flat on his face. A rifle went sailing from his hands to crash against the stable wall. Dave saw it and his first impulse was to leap for it. The impulse died instantly, however, as a group of figures threw its shadow across him. He looked up into a ring of flat faces, and hostile eyes. That is, all save one man. He wore the uniform of a General in the Luftwaffe. He was tall and straight as a steel rod. He was very good looking, and he had soft brown eyes that seemed to twinkle with merriment. Dave knew without asking that he was looking at General von Peiplow, of Dunkirk "fame."
The high ranking Luftwaffe officer suddenly chuckled out loud, and made a gesture with the riding crop he carried in his black gloved hand for the two boys to get up.
"You got tired of waiting, eh?" he spoke in English. "So sorry to have kept you waiting so long. A novel way of attracting our attention, however. Supposing, though, we had not come to investigate?"
"But you did," Dave said. "That's what we figured you'd do."
"You are Dawson?" the General asked. Then pointing his riding crop at Freddy, "And this is the English boy, Farmer? Ah! I see that you both have been promoted in rank. My congratulations!"
"Thanks," Dave grunted. And then not being able to choke off the question, "But how come you knew we'd been promoted?"
General von Peiplow chuckled and slowly closed one eye.
"It is my business to know everything," he said. "And let me compliment you two by saying that the names, Dawson and Farmer, are well known in the German Luftwaffe. Frankly34, I am very pleased to be able to meet you at last."
The Nazi smiled as he spoke but there was a chill in Dave's heart. It was almost as though he suddenly saw the real man behind that kind smile and that good looking face. Colonel Comstadt was ugly, and animal from the top of his big head to the bottom of his big feet. His brutality35, and his murderous instincts were all on the surface for the whole world to see. But not so, General von Peiplow. He was the polished Nazi. The educated and well mannered type of Hitler henchman. In reality, though, he was three times as deadly and dangerous as the lumpy Comstadt. The Gestapo man slaughtered36 with his bare hands. General von Peiplow, however, killed men with his brains, his treachery, and his diabolical37 cunning.
"Didn't figure we were that famous," Dave presently said. "So what?"
"So what?" the German murmured and arched an eyebrow38. "So, I think it would be splendid if we all had a little talk, don't you?"
A quiver of excitement shot through Dave but he kept his face a blank.
"Suits us," he said with a shrug15. "But I don't know what there is for us to talk about."
"Oh, there are lots of things," General von Peiplow smiled. Then gesturing with his riding crop, "Come along with me where it will be more comfortable. Ah, your pardon, Gentlemen! You are perhaps a bit hungry, eh?"
Dave heard Freddy speak, but he could hardly believe his ears.
"Not at all, thank you," the English youth said politely but coldly. "We're not hungry a bit."
Dave gaped39 at his pal, then looked at von Peiplow.
"You've got a doctor around here, General?" he grunted.
"Why, yes," the German replied quickly. "You need medical attention?"
"I don't," Dave said. "Just wanted to make sure, in case. Strange things might happen. Ouch!"
"What's the matter?" von Peiplow asked sharply as Dave bent40 down and rubbed his ankle.
"Fell over my own big feet!" Dave growled41, and shot a withering42 glance at Freddy Farmer's innocent face. "Well, let's have that talk, if you want."
"By all means," the Luftwaffe officer said. "Come with me."
With a nod at the group of younger officers with him, which said plain as day for them to keep a sharp eye on the two prisoners, General von Peiplow turned and led the way across a strip of open ground to a group of one story buildings set well back under the protection of some woods. Dave took one quick look at those buildings and woods, and knew at once it was one of the spots marked on Colonel Trevor's map.
He cast his eyes quickly about and instantly spotted43 the bend in the Lille River, the hill range and the stretch of swamp ground. He was suddenly relieved to know that their captors had not taken them away from the mysterious area during their unconscious hours. And then as he heard sound, and saw movement over by the stretch of supposedly swamp ground, he stopped dead in his tracks and gasped44 in bewildered amazement45.
His guess up in the air had been correct. The swamp had been drained, and the camouflage covering concealed46 a nest of partial underground hangars. They were not hangars for planes, however. Underneath47 the propped48 up camouflage covering were hundreds of gliders49! Hundreds of gliders with no cockpit as far as he could see. And in the nose of each was fitted a small auxiliary50 two cylinder51 engine of perhaps ten or twelve horsepower.
Even as he stared a group of mechanics released a pair of the auxiliary powered gliders. They went skipping along a strip of open ground no wider than a city sidewalk and arced gracefully52 up and into the air. Noses tilted53 upward close to the stalling point, the gliders climbed up in the sunset flooded heavens until they were no more than a couple of specks54 in the sky.
"Jumping cat-fish!" Dave blurted55 out. "Gliders. Auxiliary powered gliders! Well, what do you know!"
"Ah?" General von Peiplow echoed. "A surprise, eh? Then perhaps our talk will be short and sweet, as they say in your country, Flight Lieutenant57 Dawson!"
Dave looked at the faint light gleaming in the German's eyes, and would gladly have given an arm and a couple of legs to take back what he had said. It was now plain as day that von Peiplow was worried about just how much Freddy and he knew. To blurt56 out in amazement at seeing the powered gliders was the same as telling the German they didn't know very much.
The Yank bit his tongue in silent rage. Then suddenly an idea popped into his head. He turned toward Freddy and held out his hand.
"Want to pay it to me, now, or just owe it to me?" he said. "Take a look at those powered gliders. That proves the message wasn't a fake, doesn't it?"
Freddy Farmer looked blank, then caught Dave's quick half wink33. He shrugged and made a face.
"I'll owe it to you," he said. "It wasn't a fair bet, though. You know what else the message said."
It was Dave's turn to look blank. He had the sudden feeling that Freddy's last words had been some kind of a tip. That the English youth was trying to call his attention to something else. He took a quick look over at the nest of gliders, but before he could spot anything of additional interest von Peiplow's voice interrupted him.
"A message, eh?" the German murmured. "Very interesting. Well, here we are. Inside, please. Take chairs, and make yourselves comfortable."
Von Peiplow had stopped in front of the door of a square, earth camouflaged58 building. Its flat roof was covered with cut boughs59, even though tree branches were like a tent above it. A few other buildings of the same design close by were also protected in a like manner. It was obvious that the Germans had taken extra precautions that the group of buildings would not be spotted from the air.
"Or by the lens of a camera," Dave said to himself, and stepped in through the door.
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1
throbbing
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| a. 跳动的,悸动的 | |
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mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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aroma
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| n.香气，芬芳，芳香 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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pal
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| n.朋友，伙伴，同志；vi.结为友 | |
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grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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torpedoed
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| 用鱼雷袭击（torpedo的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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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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regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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Nazi
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| n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的 | |
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airfield
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| n.飞机场 | |
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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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shrug
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| v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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slaughter
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| n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀 | |
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stunt
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| n.惊人表演，绝技，特技；vt.阻碍...发育，妨碍...生长 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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navigate
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| v.航行，飞行；导航，领航 | |
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vault
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| n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室 | |
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rusted
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| v.（使）生锈( rust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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metallic
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| adj.金属的；金属制的；含金属的；产金属的；像金属的 | |
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wasp
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| n.黄蜂，蚂蜂 | |
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whined
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| v.哀号( whine的过去式和过去分词 )；哀诉，诉怨 | |
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Nazis
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| n.（德国的）纳粹党员( Nazi的名词复数 )；纳粹主义 | |
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camouflage
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| n./v.掩饰，伪装 | |
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groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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pumpkin
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| n.南瓜 | |
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chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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bawled
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| v.大叫，大喊( bawl的过去式和过去分词 )；放声大哭；大声叫出；叫卖（货物） | |
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wink
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| n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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brutality
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| n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮 | |
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slaughtered
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| v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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diabolical
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| adj.恶魔似的，凶暴的 | |
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eyebrow
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| n.眉毛，眉 | |
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gaped
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| v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的过去式和过去分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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withering
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| 使人畏缩的，使人害羞的，使人难堪的 | |
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spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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propped
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| 支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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gliders
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| n.滑翔机( glider的名词复数 ) | |
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50
auxiliary
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| adj.辅助的，备用的 | |
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51
cylinder
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| n.圆筒，柱(面)，汽缸 | |
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52
gracefully
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| ad.大大方方地；优美地 | |
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53
tilted
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| v. 倾斜的 | |
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specks
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| n.眼镜；斑点，微粒，污点( speck的名词复数 ) | |
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55
blurted
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| v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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56
blurt
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| vt.突然说出，脱口说出 | |
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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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58
camouflaged
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| v.隐蔽( camouflage的过去式和过去分词 )；掩盖；伪装，掩饰 | |
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59
boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
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