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CHAPTER XXIV TWILIGHT BATTLE
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They came at last to the crest1 of the ledge2 hanging over the spot where the jet plane rested on the rock beside the sea. Since the surface of the ledge sloped, it was possible for them to remain some thirty feet from the brink4 of the hundred-foot drop and still see the plane.

Jack5 would have walked to the brink of the cliff for a clearer view, but Mary pulled him back.

“Wait!” she whispered. “It is still light. If that man is down there he may see you. You’d stand out against the sky. Sit down here. We’ll watch to see if anything moves down there. There’s a steep path round this ledge. We can reach the jet plane in two minutes.” She pulled him to a seat beside her.

“There’s no one down there,” Jack said in a low voice after half a minute of silence. “This is my chance. We might as well go down.”

“No! Wait!” the girl insisted.
201

A minute passed—two—three minutes. Jack was restless. Darkness was throwing thin shadows over the plane, half hiding it.

He rose and walked almost to the brink of the cliff and stood there staring down.

“There’s no one,” he called softly without turning. “We’ll go down.”

At that instant a bulky figure shot past the girl and straight at Jack. Only the girl’s quick, piercing scream saved the young flier. Turning quickly, Jack threw out his arms to meet the man head on and to bring him crashing to earth close to the brink.

Realizing his perilous6 position, Jack fought desperately7. He was no mean fighter.

His opponent was larger and older than he and slower in his movements. The battle raged over the surface of the cliff. Now they were close to the ledge, now away. Now Jack was up, and now down again. This man was a beast. Once he bit Jack’s finger to the bone. He tried to knock him senseless by banging his head on the rocks. Jack’s head was hard, but this beating made him groggy8.

It was then that the big man snatched a knife from its sheath to kill Jack. His hand was up. The end appeared certain now. But suddenly something hard crashed against that upraised arm. The knife rang as it hit the rocks.
202

The stout9 hardwood club swung by the plucky10 girl—that for the moment had saved Jack’s life—did not stop with the knife. It came crashing down on the German’s head.

Stunned11, the big fellow staggered to his feet, made a lunge at Mary, and lost his balance. He fell to the rocky surface and started to roll slowly down the slope. Ten seconds later he had disappeared over the edge of the cliff.

“Wha—what happened?” Jack rose groggily12.

“No ma—matter what happened.” The girl was a bit shaky. “Come on back and sit down.”

“Wh—where is he?” Jack stammered13.

“He’s gone for good. Come on,” she urged.

They returned to the shadows. Having regained14 his vantage point, Jack rubbed his battered15 head. “I must have practically gone out,” he murmured. “What happened to that Nazi16?”

“Plenty!” said Mary. “But nothing he did not deserve. Besides, this is war, and war is—”

“No picnic.” Jack was himself again.

“How do you feel?” she asked.

He stood up, balanced himself for a moment, then went through the motions of skipping a rope.

“You’ll do.” She sprang to her feet. “We haven’t a moment to lose. Come on!”
203

Jack followed her over the steep, uncertain trail. Since she was barefoot, native style, her feet appeared to cling to the rocks. From time to time she gripped his hands to whisper, “This is a bad spot.”

And then they were on the level rock, racing17 for the plane.

“Are you sure?” Jack hesitated with his hand on the jet plane.

“Yes, sure!” she whispered. “He fell too far. Couldn’t possibly bother us now. I’ll send the natives to look him up later. But now, please hurry!”

She joined him in climbing to the plane’s top. While Jack dropped into the pilot’s place, she swung down into the gunner’s seat.

“Why!” she exclaimed in a whisper. “This is an American twinflex gun! I’ve fired them often!”

“Is it loaded?” Jack asked anxiously.

“Sure is.”

“That’s good. Keep a sharp lookout18. Don’t shoot unless it is absolutely necessary.”

“Trust me!”

He did trust her, more than she knew.

After pulling down his canopy19 he switched on a pale light. “Just like my old scout20 plane,” he murmured.
204

As he studied the instruments and controls his amazement21 grew. At last he exclaimed in a hoarse22 whisper, “This is an American plane, every bit of it. The instruments even have the makers’ trade marks on them. How do you account for that?”

“I don’t,” said the girl.

Cautiously Jack tried out the controls. He set the motor whispering, that was all. He released the brakes. They glided23 forward three or four yards. He clamped on the brakes again.

As he tested the instruments Mary whispered:

“Someone’s coming down the trail. I heard a rock rolling down.”

“Good grief!” came back in a hoarse whisper. “The Japs! We may have to light out just as we are! I’m practically ready to give it a try!”

“Wait,” she whispered. “I haven’t said good-by to the natives. They’ve really been wonderful.”

“Yes, but—” Jack did not finish. That’s a woman for you! he thought.

“I will wipe out the Japs if I must.” She turned the machine gun noiselessly.

“That’s the thing to do.”

“Yes, but I must be sure first. It might be— There!” Her whisper rose. “I saw one of them duck into the shadows.”

“Let them come on out into the open so you can get all three. We can’t—”
205

He stopped short. From the foot of the rocky cliff had come the call of a parakeet where no parakeet should be.

“Thank goodness!” Jack exclaimed. “That’s Stew24! Phew! What a close call!”

Pushing back his hood25 he answered the call. A moment later Stew was climbing to Jack’s side.

“What’s up?” he demanded. “What’s happened, anyway? I thought you’d been killed, and here—”

“You didn’t miss it by much,” Jack broke in. “Now you’re here, let’s forget the talking and get this jet plane into the air.”

“I’m staying here!” Mary declared.

“Oh! Must you?” Deep consternation26 was registered by Jack’s voice.

“I must.” Her voice was husky. “But not for long. I’ll come with Ted3.”

“If he doesn’t beat you to the gun,” said Jack.

“He won’t do that,” Stew broke in. “He told me to hurry. He’s all set, but said he would wait unless he was driven off by the Japs.”

“Not much chance of that,” Mary laughed lightly. “The Jappies are being royally entertained by my friends, and after that—well, you fill in the picture.

“So long!” She was on the rock. “It’s nice having known you.”
 
“We’ll see you in the air and on the deck of the Black Bee.” Jack gave the ship the gun. The plane whistled. He released the brakes. She slid into the sea. Giving her another spurt27, he felt her rise into the air.

“We’ve got plenty of fuel,” he said to Stew. “We’ll just circle a bit and see if we can pick up Ted and that girl.”

“That’s the best thing to do,” was Stew’s comment. “I’ll feel a lot easier if Ted hits the old Black Bee’s deck ahead of us.”

“And sort of prepare the gang for this freak,” said Jack. “Not a bad idea.”

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1 crest raqyA     
n.顶点;饰章;羽冠;vt.达到顶点;vi.形成浪尖
参考例句:
  • The rooster bristled his crest.公鸡竖起了鸡冠。
  • He reached the crest of the hill before dawn.他于黎明前到达山顶。
2 ledge o1Mxk     
n.壁架,架状突出物;岩架,岩礁
参考例句:
  • They paid out the line to lower him to the ledge.他们放出绳子使他降到那块岩石的突出部分。
  • Suddenly he struck his toe on a rocky ledge and fell.突然他的脚趾绊在一块突出的岩石上,摔倒了。
3 ted 9gazhs     
vt.翻晒,撒,撒开
参考例句:
  • The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
  • She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。
4 brink OWazM     
n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘,边沿
参考例句:
  • The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
  • The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。
5 jack 53Hxp     
n.插座,千斤顶,男人;v.抬起,提醒,扛举;n.(Jake)杰克
参考例句:
  • I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
  • He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。
6 perilous E3xz6     
adj.危险的,冒险的
参考例句:
  • The journey through the jungle was perilous.穿过丛林的旅行充满了危险。
  • We have been carried in safety through a perilous crisis.历经一连串危机,我们如今已安然无恙。
7 desperately cu7znp     
adv.极度渴望地,绝望地,孤注一掷地
参考例句:
  • He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
  • He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。
8 groggy YeMzB     
adj.体弱的;不稳的
参考例句:
  • The attack of flu left her feeling very groggy.她患流感后非常虚弱。
  • She was groggy from surgery.她手术后的的情况依然很不稳定。
10 plucky RBOyw     
adj.勇敢的
参考例句:
  • The plucky schoolgirl amazed doctors by hanging on to life for nearly two months.这名勇敢的女生坚持不放弃生命近两个月的精神令医生感到震惊。
  • This story featured a plucky heroine.这个故事描述了一个勇敢的女英雄。
11 stunned 735ec6d53723be15b1737edd89183ec2     
adj. 震惊的,惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
  • The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。
12 groggily tfVxW     
adv.酒醉地;东倒西歪地
参考例句:
13 stammered 76088bc9384c91d5745fd550a9d81721     
v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He stammered most when he was nervous. 他一紧张往往口吃。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • Barsad leaned back in his chair, and stammered, \"What do you mean?\" 巴萨往椅背上一靠,结结巴巴地说,“你是什么意思?” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
14 regained 51ada49e953b830c8bd8fddd6bcd03aa     
复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 ); 赢回; 重回; 复至某地
参考例句:
  • The majority of the people in the world have regained their liberty. 世界上大多数人已重获自由。
  • She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise. 她犹豫片刻,但很快恢复了镇静。
15 battered NyezEM     
adj.磨损的;v.连续猛击;磨损
参考例句:
  • He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
  • The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。
16 Nazi BjXyF     
n.纳粹分子,adj.纳粹党的,纳粹的
参考例句:
  • They declare the Nazi regime overthrown and sue for peace.他们宣布纳粹政权已被推翻,并出面求和。
  • Nazi closes those war criminals inside their concentration camp.纳粹把那些战犯关在他们的集中营里。
17 racing 1ksz3w     
n.竞赛,赛马;adj.竞赛用的,赛马用的
参考例句:
  • I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
  • The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。
18 lookout w0sxT     
n.注意,前途,瞭望台
参考例句:
  • You can see everything around from the lookout.从了望台上你可以看清周围的一切。
  • It's a bad lookout for the company if interest rates don't come down.如果利率降不下来,公司的前景可就不妙了。
19 canopy Rczya     
n.天篷,遮篷
参考例句:
  • The trees formed a leafy canopy above their heads.树木在他们头顶上空形成了一个枝叶茂盛的遮篷。
  • They lay down under a canopy of stars.他们躺在繁星点点的天幕下。
20 scout oDGzi     
n.童子军,侦察员;v.侦察,搜索
参考例句:
  • He was mistaken for an enemy scout and badly wounded.他被误认为是敌人的侦察兵,受了重伤。
  • The scout made a stealthy approach to the enemy position.侦察兵偷偷地靠近敌军阵地。
21 amazement 7zlzBK     
n.惊奇,惊讶
参考例句:
  • All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
  • He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。
22 hoarse 5dqzA     
adj.嘶哑的,沙哑的
参考例句:
  • He asked me a question in a hoarse voice.他用嘶哑的声音问了我一个问题。
  • He was too excited and roared himself hoarse.他过于激动,嗓子都喊哑了。
23 glided dc24e51e27cfc17f7f45752acf858ed1     
v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 );掠过;(鸟或飞机 ) 滑翔
参考例句:
  • The President's motorcade glided by. 总统的车队一溜烟开了过去。
  • They glided along the wall until they were out of sight. 他们沿着墙壁溜得无影无踪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
24 stew 0GTz5     
n.炖汤,焖,烦恼;v.炖汤,焖,忧虑
参考例句:
  • The stew must be boiled up before serving.炖肉必须煮熟才能上桌。
  • There's no need to get in a stew.没有必要烦恼。
25 hood ddwzJ     
n.头巾,兜帽,覆盖;v.罩上,以头巾覆盖
参考例句:
  • She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
  • The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。
26 consternation 8OfzB     
n.大为吃惊,惊骇
参考例句:
  • He was filled with consternation to hear that his friend was so ill.他听说朋友病得那么厉害,感到非常震惊。
  • Sam stared at him in consternation.萨姆惊恐不安地注视着他。
27 spurt 9r9yE     
v.喷出;突然进发;突然兴隆
参考例句:
  • He put in a spurt at the beginning of the eighth lap.他进入第八圈时便开始冲刺。
  • After a silence, Molly let her anger spurt out.沉默了一会儿,莫莉的怒气便迸发了出来。


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