Dave Dawson on Guadalcanal

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  _Luck of the Doomed_

  "And now, the sixty-four dollar question," Dave Dawson got out in abitter, puzzled voice. "What in thunder is the big idea? Go ahead andanswer, Freddy."

  "I can't even make a guess," the English youth groaned, and turned fromstaring out the empty cabin port. "All I can say is that I am absolutelyand completely baffled. I don't understand it at all. What the deucesuddenly caused that Sasebo to have us herded back to this empty cabinagain? After the way you raved at him, if he had drawn his samurai swordand chopped off your thick head, I could have understood. But to not somuch as bat an eye, and then obviously order that big chap to bring usback here...? Well, it's quite beyond me. Quite!"

  "You can say that again for me!" Dawson grunted. "But where do you getthat chopped off your thick head stuff, huh?"

  "Definitely!" Freddy snapped, and gave him a withering glare. "In futurekindly remember that though you may wish to get killed on the spot,because you rile up some blasted cut-throat, _I_ haven't the same desireto die!"

  Dawson grinned and let it grow into a chuckle.

  "Boy!" he breathed. "I kind of told him a thing or six, didn't I, huh?Oh, heck, Freddy, I'll admit it was taking a chance. But between you,me, and the flight deck of this tub, I've got a hunch I put a little beein that guy's bonnet."

  "I hope so, but I sincerely doubt it," Freddy Farmer said. "That blokeis nobody's fool, even though he may look like one. However, I sincerelyhope you are right, Dave. You mean, about trying to make him believethat Admiral Jackson's force is up north off the Japanese coast?"

  "Yes, that's what I meant," Dave nodded. "And I think he swallowed thebait, too. I'm almost willing to bet that before long he'll swing thistask force about and start high-balling back up north. And send out someof his long range scout-bombers, too."

  "But maybe he won't," Freddy Farmer argued. "So where does that leaveus? I'll tell you! Penned up in this blasted cabin while Jackson's forceis hunting for something that isn't there. And, good grief, Dave!Tomorrow at dawn is the time for the Guadalcanal attack. If this forcegoes sliding right on down by Jackson's position, there'll be the deuceto pay. You'll remember what Colonel Welsh kept pounding home to us? Ifhe doesn't drive off this force, at least, the Tulagi and Guadalcanalattacks may turn out terrible flops. And at a terrible price, too. Gosh!Things are so blessed well mixed up I don't know what to think. Fact is,I can't think of anything but that we're prisoners here on thisconfounded vessel. If there were only some way we could escape and getin touch with Admiral Jackson's force."

  "Yeah, if only!" Dawson grated with a frown as he twisted one clenchedfist into the palm of his other hand. "I'd give my right arm, and maybea couple of legs, just for a fifty-fifty chance to get out of this jam.And I've been thinking, too, Freddy."

  "Thinking of what?" the English-born air ace demanded as Dawson lapsedinto sudden silence.

  Dave stared at him for a moment as though he hadn't heard, so engrossedwas he with his own thoughts. Then suddenly he snapped his fingers andnodded abruptly.

  "About where we are, right now," he said. "And where Admiral Jackson'sforce should be, if they've been carrying out the search according toschedule. Freddy! If we could only get away in one of those Jap cratesup on the deck, I think I could find Jackson's force before the fuelgave out. And, of course, if we failed first to raise the force on theJap radio in the plane. Freddy, pal! You and I are wasting precioustime, cooling our heels in this place. Remember what I said? If we don'tget a break, it's up to us to _make_ one. Well, it's up to us, and now,Freddy!"

  "Now that you've brought up the subject, I fancy that I could find ourforce, too," the English youth replied with a nod. "It would be blastedclose, but I think I could find it if I _had_ to. But so what, Dave, oldthing? It all boils down to the same problem we've faced since thattwo-faced blighter shot us down. How in the world are we going toescape?"

  "_Make_ the break, as I just said," Dawson came back quickly. Then,looking steadily at his pal, he continued, "Make a break for both of us,I hope. But maybe it'll turn out a break for only _one_ of us. Get whatI mean, son?"

  "Yes, and go on," Freddy said quietly. "That doesn't worry me a bit.I'm a very lucky chap, you know."

  "Thanks, and it's been nice knowing you, you bum!" the Yank air ace saidwith a grin. And then in a deadly serious tone he went on, "It might becurtains for one of us, Freddy, though I hope and pray not. However, younever can tell, you know."

  Dawson ended the last with a faint hunch of his shoulders, and anadequate gesture with both hands. Freddy Farmer looked at him for amoment, and then snorted softly.

  "All right, old chap, all right!" he finally got out. "What do I have todo? Get down on my blasted hands and knees and beg? What in the worldare you driving at, anyway?"

  "Just this, pal!" Dawson came right back at him, and stuck out his jaw."Both of us, or one of us, anyway, has got to grab one of the Jap cratesup on the flight deck, and scram. Now, hold everything a minute, and letme finish. I know that we are locked up here, and no way to get out. Sowe've got to make a way, such as this. We bang on that door, there, andshout our heads off. Somebody is bound to come. We tell them we want tomake a deal with Suicide Sasebo. In short, if he guarantees that we'llbe taken to Japan as special prisoners of war, then we'll--"

  "Definitely, no!" Freddy Farmer snapped. "I wouldn't give that blighterthe satisfaction of--"

  "Clam up your yap, will you?" Dawson hurled at him. "For cat's sakes,let me finish, dope! I'm simply telling you what we're going to say,_not_ what we're going to _do_! So just keep your shirt on, mug, and letme finish. Okay! We bang and thump on the door there. Some guy comes,and we give him a song and dance about how we're willing to swapmilitary info for a square deal from Sasebo. It stands to reason thatthe guy will either go tell Sasebo on the run, or take us there. Okay.Remember that last trip?"

  "What do you mean, do I remember that last trip?" the English-born airace asked.

  Dawson groaned and made the motions with his hands of twisting aninvisible neck.

  "What do I mean, he says!" Dave grated. "I mean this, pal. To go seeSasebo we have to walk along the flight deck, and weave in and out amongall those planes, okay. Supposing we suddenly duck under a wing, leapinto a cockpit, and kick the engine into life, and--and away we go,huh?"

  "I'm with you all the way, old thing," Freddy Farmer said quietly. "Ofcourse you know that, what?"

  Dave grinned, reached out a hand and slapped the English youth on theback.

  "My pal, always!" he said, and meant it. "Well, that's what I mean, kid.Maybe we both wouldn't make it, but--doggone, it, Freddy! One of us hasjust got to make it. The way those planes are parked up there we couldget off before they knew what the heck was going on! Am I right, or am Iright?"

  "Don't bother asking me," Freddy replied, "because I'm all for the idea.But there's one thing I think we'd better check, Dave, just in case wedon't make it together."

  "Shoot, pal," Dawson said instantly. "What's on your mind?"

  "The approximate location of Admiral Jackson's force," the English youthreplied at once. "I think we'd better agree where it is, or at leastwhere we think it is. You see what I mean?"

  Dawson nodded, and started to speak, but at that moment he experienced acrazy, daffy feeling. He felt as though there were a third person in theroom, and as if that third person were listening to everything that wassaid, and--and chuckling up his sleeve.

  "I don't think we have to worry about that, kid," Dawson replied. "Ithink we both know just about where Admiral Jackson's force should be.The big idea is, can we grab a plane and scram away from this tub? Inother words, are you game, Freddy?"

  The English youth didn't reply at once. He just stared at Dawson, andsmouldering fires glowed in his eyes.

  "And to use a thoroughly Yank expression," he eventually said,tight-lipped, "what do you think, eh?"

  Dave grinned, and nodded happily.

  "Okay, kid," he said, "I was onl
y asking. Well--what are we waiting for,huh?"

  The English-born air ace seemed to hesitate a brief moment, and then hesmiled and nodded.

  "I'll bite," he said. "Just what are we waiting for? Go ahead, oldthing. Anything is better than this, what?"

  Dawson hesitated, and shot Freddy a keen look, as though he was tryingto check up and make sure that his pal was definitely in favor of theplan. Then he nodded silently, turned and walked over to the cabin doorwith one fist raised to pound against it.

  But, miracle of miracles, before his knuckles had so much as touched thecabin door, he heard the key grate in the lock, and the door opened inhis face to reveal the huge Jap officer who had conducted them toSasebo's quarters that other time. Eyes popping, and mouth hanging open,Dawson stared at the huge Jap. The son of Nippon smiled, nodded, andmade a faint gesture with one hand.

  "Come with me," he said. "Honorable Admiral desires to talk with youagain. Come please."

  For a moment Dawson could hardly believe his eyes and ears. He gaped atthe Jap and then looked at Freddy Farmer. A look of astonished disbeliefwas stamped on the English youth's face. Dawson looked back at the bigJap, and nodded.

  "Okay," he said. "Lead the way. It so happens that we want to see theAdmiral, too."

  The big Jap smiled, and a funny look suddenly gleamed in hisdouble-lidded eyes. It struck Dawson as though the man were enjoyingsome little secret--at their expense. However, he didn't give the Jap'sexpression more than a passing thought. Lady Luck was indeed smiling onFreddy Farmer and him. Things were working out even better than he hadhoped. Just one more break and everything would be perfect. Just thechance to suddenly duck away from this big Jap and pile into the pit ofone of those Jap planes up on the flight deck. Once Freddy and he werein the pit the rest would be a cinch. They'd go scooting down thatnarrow take-off lane before the dumbfounded Japs realized what hadhappened. Right! Just one little more break, and then it would be theJaps' turn to receive some knockout surprises.

  And so, with a fervent prayer in his heart, Dawson shot a last secondwarning look at Freddy Farmer, and then stepped through the cabin door,and out into the companionway. A couple of minutes later he was leadingthe way up the ladder to the flight deck. His heart was doing wildoutside loops in his chest, and the blood was racing through his veins.And as he neared the top of the ladder he heard the glorious sound ofJap aircraft engines warming up. That made it better and better. Maybeten minutes more and Freddy and he would be streaking away on a bee-linecourse toward where they believed Admiral Jackson's powerful task forceto be!