  “I’ve used up all my kerosene, sir!” Jack declared in sudden consternation. “And I’m quite sure this jet plane won’t run on gas.” “Oh, don’t let that worry you!” was the Commander’s instant reply. “You’ve been around this old flat-top long enough. You should know that we carry a greater variety of goods and supplies than you’d find in a department store. We service the entire task force.” “Sure, I know. But kerosene—” “We carry that for land operations. You can’t set up an electric light plant overnight—you have to go back to the lamp-and-lantern age. Besides, many of the small island crafts burn kerosene in their motors. We’ll have a drum up from below at once.” “One thing I want to know,” said the Commander, “and that’s the range of this ship. I’ve heard they’re hard on fuel. We’ll have the boys rig up a belly tank on your jet plane. Then you and I will give the ship a good tryout together.” “That’s okay with me, sir,” said Jack. “It’s not just for fun, or to try out a new toy. I want to warn you,” said the Commander, “that if this jet plane has enough range she’ll be the first scout sent out over Mindanao. It’s going to be very important that we have accurate information regarding ships in the harbor. With this plane you should be able to get that information and come back alive.” “It will be a great honor, sir!” Jack replied soberly. When the belly tank had been rigged and the jet plane fueled, they took off. “If I were sure of the oxygen equipment, sir,” said Jack as he set the jet plane climbing, “I’d take you to the stratosphere. There we’d really have distance aplenty.” “That can wait,” was the answer. “Climb to five thousand, level off, then follow the course the task force has just covered. Our fighters are maintaining a night watch for snoopers, but if our fuel holds out we’ll cover a much greater distance than they.” Jack followed instructions, then, having set the ship at an economical speed, settled back to think of many things—of the island they had left, of the three Japs, and of the German who had gone over the cliff. He could easily imagine what had happened to them. However, to guess how they had come into possession of this American-made jet plane was not so easy. He thought of Mary Brown and Ted. Mary was a good-looking girl—with her island brown off and a touch of an American lady’s war paint on. He thought Ted had rather fallen for her. Had he done the same? There was Patsy. There was always Patsy back home. “How’s your fuel, Jack?” the Commander asked. “I’ll have a look, sir.” Jack studied his gauge. “Not bad,” he reported. “Under present conditions we should do eight hundred miles.” “That’s all anyone can hope for. How do you account for this ship’s efficiency?” the Commander asked. “Well, you see, sir, it’s my understanding that a new alloy has been developed that will withstand a very high temperature. Then the jets are deflected by setting them at right angles to the air stream. Of course,” he demurred, “I only learned a little—I read it in a scrapbook. All I really know is that this plane’s got speed and can carry enough fuel to take you places and permit you to do things,” Jack laughed happily. “That’s all I ask of any plane.” “It’s all anyone can ask,” said the Commander. “But let me tell you one thing, son, if a cannon ball or even a slug from a machine gun ever penetrates the wall of the combustion chamber in this plane, with all that heat she’ll burn like a match!” “It’s protected partially, at least, with steel plate, sir,” Jack replied soberly. “But why let the enemy get a crack at you when you’ve got a ship like this?” “Why, indeed?” agreed the Commander. “All you have to do is turn on the oxygen and climb for the stars. You—” The Commander broke off to listen intently. “Jack!” he said. “Shut off that squeal and drift down a bit.” Jack silenced his engine. Then he heard it. The thunder of a powerful plane. “A snooper!” he exclaimed. “He’s up ahead some distance.” The Commander listened again. “Coming this way. That’s my judgment.” “He’s a good two hundred and fifty miles from our task force, sir,” Jack suggested. “Too close. Start your motor.” Jack obeyed. “And now, sir?” “Pick up speed. We’re going after that big Jap plane.” “But, sir! You are a key figure! A hundred planes, hundreds of men operate at your direction! There’s time enough to get back and send out a patrol!” “We’re taking no chances!” the Commander snapped. “No single man is too important. If I were unwilling to risk going with you in a flight of this nature, I should not be worthy of commanding a bomber, let alone all the planes of a carrier.” “How’s this gun I have here?” he asked in a casual tone. “It’s first-class, sir. The same type of gun we use in our own planes, and in top condition.” “And your gun?” asked the Commander. “There are two fifty-millimeter guns in fixed position. Having no propeller simplifies things, sir. I’ve never fought in this plane, sir, but I think we shall take them.” “Even if we can’t shoot the beggars down,” the Commander laughed, “the wail of this plane should frighten them to death.” After that they howled on through the night. Twice Jack silenced his motor. Each time the rumble was louder. “We’re on the right track,” was the Commander’s comment. The third time, Jack said, “Very close, sir.” “Above or beneath us?” “Beneath, I believe, sir,” Jack answered. “Good! We’ll run right above them. Then we’ll swing about and down, so we can get them in the light of the moon.” Jack was following instructions and was, he thought, just about over the snooper, when a strange thing happened. A dim light shot squarely across his path. “Did you see that, sir?” he exclaimed. “See what?” “A light! It crossed my path!” “Strange!” was the answer. Yes, Jack thought it strange. Instinctively he banked hard to follow the light, but already it was circling. “Coming back!” His heart skipped a beat. He felt for his gun grip. Automatically charting the course of that mystery plane whose light had blinked out, Jack cut a slow circle. Suddenly, as his eyes caught a shadow, he let out a burst of fire from both guns, counted three, then fired again. All of a sudden the sky was alight. The thing before him—a Zero, he believed—had blown up. “Those snoopers carry fighter protection now, sir,” he said. “How could they?” The Commander was amazed. Then, “Probably have a carrier not too far away. Maybe others. We must keep a sharp lookout. But we must have the big snooper all the same.” “Yes, sir, we must.” Jack started jockeying for a position that would give him a picture of the snooper against the moon. “There!” he murmured. “No, now!” And then again, “Now! There he is! I’ll climb up to give it to him in the tail, then I’ll bank sharply right. Perhaps you’ll get a whack at him, sir.” He lost the big flying boat once more, then, suddenly, there they were, right upon the enemy. Once again his twin guns roared. He banked sharply to catch the rattle of the Commander’s gun. He caught something more. From behind came the rattle of a Zero’s weapon. “Another fighter!” he groaned. Putting his plane into a steep dive, Jack dropped a thousand feet—then swinging, started to climb. “What luck! You’re just beneath him!” exclaimed the Commander. “Climb right on up and give me a whack at him as we pass.” It would be a difficult shot. There was the danger too that the Zero pilot had a pal. But up they flew. And at just the right moment the Commander poured murderous fire into the enemy, who, for three seconds, had no chance of escape. It was enough. He disappeared from sight, and to Jack’s nostrils came the stench of burning oil. “You got him!” Jack breathed. “But the snooper?” “There’s a bright spot over to the left,” said the Commander. “Might be a burning motor.” It was a burning motor of the big Jap ship. It burned more and more until the whole plane burst into flames and white parachutes bloomed against the night sky. “I think,” said the Commander, “that we should start back. There’s such a thing as going too far in this matter of testing out a plane’s cruising capacity.” “As you say, sir.” Jack spoke calmly, but inside he was all pure joy. His jet plane had proved its worth. |
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