The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1940-11-05
by Rupert GraySon

Gun became conscious OF a shadow
| that fell across them and. looking
quickly up. came near to catching
his breath. For flying about three
hundred feet above. on a parallel
course to theil own and directly
over them. was gigantic black
plane OF the bomber type!
Seen thus, the thing ooked more
than sinister. it 'ocked almost IN
credibly menacing, like a gigantic
bird of prey lowering over their
small. defenseless plane. Nor did
the scarlet numerals on the under
side of the great sable wings
&c 1313"-do anything &c set Guns
mind at rest After all. the bomber
had isappeared-and what better
method of causing the total disap-
pearance of plane than to send it
hurting and blazing ITO the sea
below.
The radio-phone blared suddenly
at him, in the distorted voice of
Tommy Hazeldeane:
Here comes ours, Gun-sit
tight, my lad, I'm away out of
! thisl"
There came the added roar of
the accelerated engine, and next
moment Tommy had gone into a
nose dive, so that they plunged
headlong into the cold, damp OBJ
security of the clouds below them.
That's better" came Tommy's
voice. in relief. as he fiattened out
again
Then the radio sputtered, and
commenced to toot out, in the War
Office code AS:
TX. G o. X. o. o. Z.
G.1313 calling X. o. o. i"
Gun answered, and another mes
sage Immediately:
*. o. o. GIBBS calling
X o. o. What are you doing?
Have you been instructed to fol-
low our directions ?"
I'VE won't seem to AL for it too
easily" thought Gun to himself,
as he tapped out in reply:
GIBBS. X. o. o. calling
G1313. Message received. The an
swer is. in the affirmative. But who
is that sending"
And got reply:
*. 0. o. G.1313 calling
X o. o. Message sent by squad
ron Leader Trent, p. Are you
ready to follow our directions
Hello. Tommy" said Gun.
through the phone. Ever heard of
Squadron Leader p. Trent?"
Yes came the answer. Last
l heard of him he was at Wool
wich. What about him. anyway ?"
He's supposed to be in charge
Of that black plane, that's ALL"
I'm bit of liar myself" said
Tommy.
Gun tapped out:
:. Thank you. Await your
directions"
A pause. Then the answer:
Rise clear Of cloud bank. When
you sight us, trail on about one
mile in rear. and follow us until
further Instructions received"
fHo which Gun replied:
Directions received. Am carry
ing out Immediately.
AS they began to climb he
tapped out a message to X on the
new wave length:
Have sighted G1313. and am in
structed to follow It Am comply
ing. Any further instructions,
please ?"
The answer was:
Follow plane as directed. Do ex-
actly what they say up to reason
able point-then use own discre-
ton. Report to me every half
hour"
out OF the cloud bank and into
the sunshine once more, they
picked up the black plane. flying a
little behind them. Tommy re-
versed this position. and presently
they were following the sinister
black plane. at about a mile to the
rear and above it in altitude.
1t became sort Of game Of fol-
low my leader. for the black plane
started to twist and turn at inter-
walls in the most eccentric manner.
Sometimes she would fly for miles
on a dead straight course. and
then suddenly swing of tc right
angles. Then take a circle. and
seem TO double back on her tracks.
and then shoot of again to left or
right Fly straight again for a
time. and then more or less re-
peat the performance.
After about an hour and a half
Of this. Gun. who had already re-
ported once to X in the interim,
said through the phone:
Il say. Tommy. have you any
idea where we are ?"
And Tommy's answer came
back
Wandering vaguely somewhere