“Not only that,” was the instant response, “but you’ll lead the parade.
“And now,” the Commander ordered, “hit the hay!”
Jack was too excited over past and future events to sleep long that night. He awoke with the dawn to find the sea blanketed in fog.
“Just what the doctor ordered,” he said to Stew3. “We’ll be able to get through the day unobserved by the enemy. And tomorrow, unless I miss my guess, we strike at dawn.”
With coffee, hot cakes, and bacon stowed away, Jack made his way to the flight deck. There he obtained permission to take his jet plane below for study, inspection4, and if need be, repairs.
226
He had plenty of help with this task. There wasn’t a flier or mechanic on the Black Bee who would not gladly have taken the jet plane apart piece by piece just to see what made it go.
The best mechanics on the carrier were assigned to the task of going over the plane. With an eagle eye Jack watched their every move. He made sure that the oxygen equipment was in perfect order and the tubes filled to capacity.
“You’re flying with me,” he said to Stew. “We’re to be the first scouts5 over the target. Those are the Commander’s orders. And we’ll go there in the stratosphere, fastest trip you ever made, if our jet plane holds together.”
“That’s Jake with me,” Stew grinned.
That was a busy day on the Black Bee. Every plane was inspected and given minor6 repairs. Fliers were given last day-before-the-battle instructions. Anti-aircraft crews went through dress rehearsals7. Every man on the ship was on his toes and ready to go. No night before was ever like this.
That evening Jack hunted up Mary, who had joined the Medical Corps8 in the sick bay, and retrieved9 his violin.
To relieve his tension he went to the flight deck, tuned11 up his violin, and then walked slowly back and forth12 playing all the melodies he knew—while with every tune10 memories of other days came back.
227
Then he locked the violin safely in its case and wandered up for one more look at the jet plane before retiring for the night.
“Tomorrow,” he whispered.
Jack and Stew were up two hours before dawn. The hour that preceded dawn was their zero hour.
As they came down for their coffee they were surprised to find Ted2 and Mary waiting for them.
“We thought we’d like to be with you at the last meal before the big moment,” said Mary.
“That’s sure swell13 of you,” said Jack.
“You’d want to do that if we were the ones to go,” said Ted.
“That’s right,” Jack agreed. “We’ve been through a lot together, all of us. But Ted, what’s your assignment?”
“That’s just it.” Ted made a long face. “Our fighter squadron, Kentucky, Blackie, and the rest are to stick with the ship just in case we’re attacked. Tell you what.” Ted leaned forward. “When you get over that harbor just send word back that there isn’t a Jap carrier in sight and no bombers14 on the airfields15.”
“Oh! Sure!” Jack grinned. “In fact, we’ll do better than that. We’ll just circle around over the sea, then make our report without even looking at that old Jap harbor.”
228
“Say! What is this? Mutiny?” Mary demanded.
“No.” Stew grinned. “It’s just a case of jolly good lying ‘just before the battle, mother.’”
“Don’t sell yourself short just yet,” Jack said to Ted. “You may see plenty of fighting before this day is over, yes, and find yourself in need of a ‘woman’s gentle nursing,’ as the old poem goes, before the sun sets.”
Zero hour came. The jet plane began its predawn song. Jack and Stew were off.
The fog was gone, and the moon bright. Jack was astonished as he climbed into the sky. As far as he could see there were white dots telling of ships plowing16 their way through the dark sea.
“More fighting ships than the world has ever seen in one place,” he said to Stew.
“Sure—carriers, probably a dozen of them; big battle wagons17, cruisers, destroyers, cargo19 vessels20, transports, oilers, tankers21, repair ships, PT boats—everything. We’re going back to the Philippines, boy! And we’re going back to stay.”
After that they soared again. With oxygen masks in place they climbed to the substratosphere, then headed for Mindanao at incredible speed.
“Wonderful!” Jack breathed. “No Zero will ever catch up with us now.”
229
“And we’d better not let them,” Stew warned. “You remember the orders—no dogfights with those cookies today.”
The first faint streaks22 of dawn were showing when a gray bulk close to the surface of the sea loomed23 up ahead of them.
“There!” Jack exclaimed. “Take a good look! It’s the Philippines!”
“My first glimpse of the islands,” Stew murmured with a touch of reverence24. “But not my last, I hope.”
By studying his chart Jack learned that the land ahead was the north entrance to a deep bay.
“We follow the shore line until we are at the center of the bay. The target is right there.”
They dropped to ten thousand feet, then slowed down their plane and zoomed25 along over the shore line.
They arrived at the target too soon for a clear view. For all that, they found something to do.
“There’s a nasty little Zero on our tail,” Stew exclaimed. “Whatever shall we do?” he asked in mock terror. “It’s wicked to fight, besides, we promised not to.”
“Put on your oxygen mask,” Jack commanded with a grin. “We’ll go up into the attic26 and talk it over.”
230
They began climbing steeply. The Zero pilot came after them. They left his plane far behind.
“Not so fast!” Stew warned. “He’ll get discouraged.”
As if experiencing high altitude blues27, Jack slowed his plane down to a crawl. Encouraged, the Jap put on full speed and came on for the kill.
But Jack, as if by some miracle, put on a burst of speed to climb higher.
This was repeated four times. Jack was beginning to wonder whether he was playing the game too long with a plane he did not entirely28 understand, when something appeared to go wrong with the enemy plane. It began to wobble, then to smoke. It lost altitude, then began turning over slowly. Faster—faster—faster it turned as it fell, until at last it was a mere29 black spot.
“I think,” said Jack, “that this jet plane is the berries. And now,” he added in the next breath, “we’ll just go down and see what ships there are in the harbor. Get your pencil ready. Make the count as accurate as possible. Can’t tell about those Japs. They might not give us another chance.”
“Accurate it shall be,” Stew replied grimly.
231
“All right, here we go.” Jack tilted30 his plane. “We’ll come down so fast they can’t intercept31 us. We’ll level off at two thousand and skim along over the port and the bay. After that we’ll circle until the Zeros get tough, then we’ll reach for the stars.” They were away, with their plane singing a lovely tune as they rocketed downward toward the port and the sea. To Stew, the speed of their downward course was breath-taking, staggering; but he hung on, offered up a prayer, and before he knew it they were leveling off, gliding32 away, while he caught his breath at sight of the ships in the harbor.
“Boy! We caught them with their steam down!” he exclaimed.
His pencil was racing—two flat-tops, one big battle wagon18, five cruisers, seven destroyers. In vain did he try to count the cargo ships and tankers anchored in the harbor or tied up to the docks. “Fifty or more,” he scribbled33.
“Ready for action!” Jack barked. Ten Zeros were coming at them. Stew threw back his canopy34, gripped his gun and waited.
Once again Jack started climbing. But two Zeros were above and others to the right of him. Like football players rushing to stop an end run, they were coming in fast.
“Got to fight,” Jack decided35. He headed straight for the nearest enemy, caught him on the side, gave him a burst of fire, then plunged36 down to go under him. Luck was with him, for he came up behind the other plane. The Zero fled without a shot.
232
Jack did not follow, but again started climbing.
“What a pity! Such easy meat!” Stew exclaimed.
“No dog fights!” Jack reminded him. “Besides, there are eight more Zeros coming up.”
“Let them come!” said Stew. “I’ll drop the belly37 tank on them.”
That was just what he did. When both they and their pursuers were well up in the substratosphere, he let go the empty tank and, with luck, tipped the wing of a fighter, sending him whirling over and over.
“Oh!” he breathed ten seconds later as the enemy righted himself. “We get no medals for belly tanks.”
As they climbed higher and higher their pursuers one by one dropped back, giving up the race. At last none remained.
“Their ships just can’t take it,” Jack explained. “Something freezes up and then they’re sunk.”
“Yes, or their propellers38 find the air too thin,” Stew added.
Tilting39 his plane, Jack drifted slowly downward while Stew reported to the radio cabin of the Black Bee.
“Great work,” was the commendation they received. “Think you can get down there once more for a check?”
233
“Can we go down again?” he asked Jack.
“Down to five thousand,” was the quick reply. “More would be suicide. You can use binoculars40.”
Down they went once more with the jet plane singing its wild song.
Stew had just completed his check at five thousand when Jack warned: “Here they come!”
This time he was above the enemy. When he had gained sufficient altitude, he leveled off and soared away.
“That’s all,” he exclaimed. “Have to go back for more fuel.”
Once again Stew radioed his report, with corrections. Then he settled back with a sigh. “Boy! What a life!” He was at ease, but not for long.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
jack
|
|
| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
ted
|
|
| vt.翻晒，撒，撒开 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
stew
|
|
| n.炖汤，焖，烦恼；v.炖汤，焖，忧虑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
inspection
|
|
| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
scouts
|
|
| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
minor
|
|
| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
rehearsals
|
|
| n.练习( rehearsal的名词复数 )；排练；复述；重复 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
corps
|
|
| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
retrieved
|
|
| v.取回( retrieve的过去式和过去分词 )；恢复；寻回；检索（储存的信息） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
tune
|
|
| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
tuned
|
|
| adj.调谐的，已调谐的v.调音( tune的过去式和过去分词 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
forth
|
|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
swell
|
|
| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
bombers
|
|
| n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
airfields
|
|
| n.（较小的无建筑的）飞机场( airfield的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
plowing
|
|
| v.耕( plow的现在分词 )；犁耕；费力穿过 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
wagons
|
|
| n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
wagon
|
|
| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
cargo
|
|
| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
vessels
|
|
| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
tankers
|
|
| 运送大量液体或气体的轮船[卡车]( tanker的名词复数 )； 油轮； 罐车； 油槽车 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
streaks
|
|
| n.（与周围有所不同的）条纹( streak的名词复数 )；（通常指不好的）特征（倾向）；（不断经历成功或失败的）一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 )；使布满条纹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
loomed
|
|
| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
reverence
|
|
| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
zoomed
|
|
| v.（飞机、汽车等）急速移动( zoom的过去式 )；（价格、费用等）急升，猛涨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
attic
|
|
| n.顶楼，屋顶室 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
blues
|
|
| n.抑郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
entirely
|
|
| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
mere
|
|
| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
tilted
|
|
| v. 倾斜的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
intercept
|
|
| vt.拦截，截住，截击 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
gliding
|
|
| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
scribbled
|
|
| v.潦草的书写( scribble的过去式和过去分词 )；乱画；草草地写；匆匆记下 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
canopy
|
|
| n.天篷，遮篷 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
decided
|
|
| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
plunged
|
|
| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
belly
|
|
| n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
propellers
|
|
| n.螺旋桨，推进器( propeller的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
tilting
|
|
| 倾斜，倾卸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
binoculars
|
|
| n.双筒望远镜 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |