When he was out late playing with some neighbor boy and had to brave the dark roads alone, Jack had gone on tiptoe. But that didn’t always help, for more than once he saw weird white things moving in the hedge or the willows4.
“Ghosts!” he would think, scared to death. But he never ran. A ghost at your back is much more terrible than one you can see. Jack always walked straight toward the ghosts, and always they vanished into thin air.
97
As he caught the hoarse5 whisper there on the lonely mysterious island, he thought of those ghosts, and it steadied his mind. He answered the hoarse whisper, then walked straight toward the spot from whence it came. He had gone a dozen paces when a low voice said:
“Don’t come closer.”
Gripping his gun, he stopped.
Out of the brush and the shadows stepped a figure that even in the dim moonlight appeared familiar.
“What are you doing here?” a woman’s voice asked. “How did you come? And why?”
The woman was tall, and rather slender. She wore a broad hat that hid her face.
It’s that slim queen of the island, was Jack’s thought. He had come to think of her as just that, but was astonished to discover that she spoke6 English fluently.
“Who are you? And what are you doing here?” he countered, taking two steps.
“It doesn’t matter who I am,” came slowly. “It will pay you to stay where you are. I am not alone.”
Jack remained where he was. He seemed to catch sight of shadowy figures in the brush. Visions of flying spears and arrows haunted him.
“We’re two fliers from the United States Navy,” he said, having decided7 to tell the truth. “Our plane was wrecked8. We came ashore9 on a rubber raft. Now, who are you?” he repeated.
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“How are we to know that you are speaking the truth?” the girl asked, ignoring his question. “There’s a Jap raft drawn10 up on the beach,” she went on.
“Yes. We drew it up.” Jack’s throat went dry.
“Then perhaps you came in it.”
“Do I look like a Jap?” He played his flashlight on his own face.
“Not like a Jap, but you might be a German. All the traders were Germans before the war.”
“All right. Have it your way!” He threw a flash of light into her eyes. By doing this, he discovered an added pair of eyes—small, monkey eyes. The monk11 was on her shoulder.
“Is that your monkey?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“How did you get that American nurse’s identification tag the monkey wears?” He asked without thinking.
“That!” There was anger in her voice. “That’s none of your affair.”
She went on after a moment, “We want to know about you.”
“And now you know.” He laughed softly.
“Do I?” She returned the laugh.
“Do you know all about those fellows who come here in that queer sort of plane?” he asked.
99
“Do you?” she came back at him.
“No.”
“Well then, that makes two of us. Thanks for listenin’. Good night.” She was gone.
She’s heard that farewell off here on the radio, Jack thought. Did missionaries12 have radios? He supposed they did. Queer little world he had dropped into. So she didn’t know much about those two men and the mystery plane? Well, one way or another, he was going to learn more. If they turned out to be Australian, British, or Dutch, they might give the boys a lift to some spot held by the United Nations. Then Stew13 and he would get back in time for the big push against Mindanao, he thought. Worth taking a chance for that, he assured himself. A very long chance.
When Kentucky and two of his night fighting comrades made their way back to the carrier they were greeted with enthusiasm.
“You did it!” The Commander gripped Kentucky’s hand. “You broke up their formation! Not a torpedo14 found its mark. But where is Ted2?” His voice dropped.
“We don’t know, sir,” said Kentucky, wrinkling his brow. “We had to scatter15, and go on our own.”
“Of course.”
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“Red saw him climbing for altitude, sir—thought his motor might have been smoking.”
“Yes, sir. That’s the way it was,” Red put in. “After that the moon went under for quite a while. When it came out his plane was gone. I thought I saw a white gleam like a parachute in the moonlight quite close to the water, but I wasn’t sure.”
“We’ll hope he made a safe landing,” said the Commander. “We have to go in about a hundred miles. The Marines go ashore at dawn. We must furnish them a protecting screen. You boys have done a fine job. Now get some chow and rest. We’ll need you again soon. It’s going to be a long pull for you, but this is war.”
The moon had come out just in time for Ted’s landing. He sank beneath the sea, lost his grip on the rubber raft, then came up for air.
The moon was still out. His raft was some ten yards away. After disengaging himself from his chute, he swam to the raft, then worked himself into it with great care. This accomplished16, he paddled to his chute, squeezed the water out of it as best he could, then deposited it on one end of the raft.
101
He took off his clothing. The air was warm. He was not uncomfortable. After wringing17 out his clothes he put them all on again except his heavy flying jacket. He was warm enough without wearing the jacket.
Then, with feet on the chute and head on the inflated18 edge of the raft, he sprawled19 out in absolute repose20.
“Nothing I can do right now,” he assured himself. “Might get a little sleep.” He recalled the words of his father.
“You may have to bail21 out and land on the sea,” his father had said. “If you happen to find yourself in a fix like that,” his father had rambled22 on, “you may feel like praying that there will be no violent storms, that God may send birds to light on your raft so you can catch and eat them, that He’ll send fish, not sharks—all that sort of thing.
“Well, if you feel that way about it,” his father had paused, “it won’t do you any harm. But for my part, I’d rather pray for wisdom and skill, for the good sense to relax and take it easy, to save my strength and my skill for catching23 fish and birds and preparing them for food. I’m convinced that there is a power within us or about us that does give us both skill and wisdom if we only ask for them.”
“A power within us or about us,” Ted repeated slowly, “that gives us skill and wisdom.” At that, rocked by small waves, he fell asleep.
102
Kentucky never needed much rest when he was in a fighting mood. Two hours of sleep, a stack of pancakes, three cups of black coffee, and he was ready to lead his fighters out over the island that lay like a dark, gray shadow rising out of the sea in the first flush of dawn.
One by one the planes left the carrier. Fighters, scout24 planes, dive bombers25, torpedo planes—all thundered away toward their target.
Leading them all, Kentucky felt important and very happy.
“Hot diggity!” he exclaimed to the morning air. “This is what I call life! And here’s where we pay the Japs a little on account for Pearl Harbor.” He was thinking of little Joe Kreider, his pal26 from Kentucky.
He’s gone, Kentucky thought soberly. Japs got him in that sneak27 attack on Pearl Harbor. Gone, but not forgotten. He gave his motor a fresh burst of gas.
Then he saw it, a big old four-motored Jap snooper slipping out for a look at their carrier.
“Hot dog!” Kentucky’s plane shot skyward and then came plunging28 down in a steep curve. His two guns poured hot lead into the snooper’s right outside motor. The motor, almost cut away, hung by shreds29.
103
Before the snooper could right itself, Kentucky was back, firing away at the other right motor. He set it smoking. The big plane tilted30, rolled over, then went plunging toward the sea.
All this had happened in the space of seconds. Enough time had elapsed, however, for other things to be brewing31. Suddenly two of his fighting pals32 joined him, while from up beyond there came the sharp rat-a-tat-tat of machine-gun fire.
Rubbing his eyes, Kentucky peered into the brightening dawn. A half mile or so before him he made out the shadowy forms of several planes circling wildly, with guns blazing.
His triggerlike mind took in the situation in an instant. “Hey! Red! Blackie! Jean!” he roared into his radio. “Hold up! Circle Back! BACK!”
As they began swinging back, speaking in a low tone, he continued: “That’s only a bunch of Zeros putting on a show for us. It looks like a fight, but it’s only a sham33 battle. None of our planes are in there. We’re in the lead.”
Through his earphones he caught low grumbles34 and some unprintable words.
“Come on, now,” he invited. “Get into formation. You know the lineup. We’ll join in their game, all right, but on our own terms.”
104
They climbed rapidly and joined in wing-to-wing formation, Kentucky in the lead and Red bringing up the rear. Red carried a gunner, the best the Navy knew, in his rear cockpit.
“Now! Come on down! And give it to them for my old pal Joe and all the American boys lost at Pearl Harbor!” Kentucky shouted into his mike. And down they came.
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1
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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ted
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| vt.翻晒，撒，撒开 | |
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3
weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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willows
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| n.柳树( willow的名词复数 )；柳木 | |
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hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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6
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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7
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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wrecked
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| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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monk
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| n.和尚，僧侣，修道士 | |
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12
missionaries
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| n.传教士( missionary的名词复数 ) | |
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13
stew
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| n.炖汤，焖，烦恼；v.炖汤，焖，忧虑 | |
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14
torpedo
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| n.水雷，地雷；v.用鱼雷破坏 | |
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15
scatter
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| vt.撒，驱散，散开；散布/播；vi.分散，消散 | |
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16
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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wringing
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| 淋湿的，湿透的 | |
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18
inflated
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| adj.（价格）飞涨的；（通货）膨胀的；言过其实的；充了气的v.使充气（于轮胎、气球等）( inflate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）膨胀；（使）通货膨胀；物价上涨 | |
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19
sprawled
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| v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的过去式和过去分词)；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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21
bail
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| v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人 | |
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22
rambled
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| （无目的地）漫游( ramble的过去式和过去分词 )； （喻）漫谈； 扯淡； 长篇大论 | |
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23
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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24
scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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25
bombers
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| n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟 | |
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26
pal
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| n.朋友，伙伴，同志；vi.结为友 | |
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27
sneak
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| vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行 | |
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28
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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29
shreds
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| v.撕碎，切碎( shred的第三人称单数 )；用撕毁机撕毁（文件） | |
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30
tilted
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| v. 倾斜的 | |
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31
brewing
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| n. 酿造, 一次酿造的量 动词brew的现在分词形式 | |
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32
pals
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| n.朋友( pal的名词复数 )；老兄；小子；（对男子的不友好的称呼）家伙 | |
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33
sham
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| n./adj.假冒(的)，虚伪(的) | |
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34
grumbles
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| 抱怨( grumble的第三人称单数 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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