The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1941-10-20
A YANK TN
THE R. A. F.
Nv HARLAN THOMAS

#aaaH#HH# #HH"AAA
~ ne water he stuffed the coat
INTO the filthy hilge stood up.
Wrung L out over the side. and
YEARLY repeated ire process time
after time. Their. wheu he felt him
self near to exhaustion. he slump
ed down en- the opposite seat he
had gained ever - little on the
water But he had gained Then he
noticed that Morley Wss trying 70
vet his lips The waters splsshlng
had aroused MS thirst and tor
mented him. Tim had an intense
desire 10 sleep But be knew L vas
essential to keep their minds gong
somehow-to talk.
he tried 10 be casual The Cor
porai was a good guy. wasn't ne -
Morley family said. Yes
Queer duck. though Took
things as they came He paused
awhile I guess he was married -
Two children Morley num-
bied
Told me he worked IN garage
before the var. Tim wandered on.
sad he was hoping to buy the
place one Of these DAYS"
They drifted for a while You
know" Tim said finally. drawing
his legs up and hooking his arms
around ms knees. 7 s,ill don't get
this jumping that guy without
a word
Morley opened his eyes slowly
and looked across. 7 shouldn't
worry too much about il. If were
you"
Worry Tim said. surprised.
How come >"
Morley carefully moistened h.s
lips I'm sure Harry had II all
figured out in his own mind -
Had what figured out >"
Morley hesitated awhile. Tim re-
Elected that he oughtnt to be ask
ing Morley to waste his energy on
talk. But he couldn't stop MIN
now. Well. ! suppose he must
have looked at the practical side"
Morley was saying vaguely reviv-
ing. Pilots are a great deal harder
TO replace than gunners. YOU see
After a while Tim answered. I
guess so % They lapsed into silence.
Morley moistened his lips again.
Or, on the other hand. perhaps he
figured his children. or his grand
children. would be paid back
eventually = by a better world in
which to live"
Tim looked out upon the vast.
shapeless. silent sea. You think
ne figured that 30
Morley did not answer.
A while later. when the gray Of
the air seemed to have become
+ lighter. thinner. almost opalescent,
Tim brea thed deeply and SAID,
And Pnlby." He paused There
was no sound around them. but
for distant. lonely gull. What
/ the hell made him
The bilge sloshed. The water was
gaining on them. Tim leaned on an
elbow and looked down al it. He
did nothing more about IT, Morley
was lying flat on his back. his
strong shoulders still square, but
his breathing slow and his I'M
shaver face almost gray.
Morley" Tim said slowly.
There was no answer
Morley" ne said. louder.
Finally the lids opened again
Tim. leaning on his elbow, SAID
across the boat. I'm sorry"
Morley's lips painfully formed
the sound. Ell -
I'm sorry for quitting, Morley.
I'm terribly ashamed"
Tim thought ne saw the hint Of
smile on Mor'ey's parched and
swollen lips
Hours later. he thought he heard
faint sound He was lying flat
on mis- back. like Morley The fog
had cleared into warm. peatly
haze. n. could look upward and
catch CLINT of blush sky. There
was the fsintest. distant hummlns.
He feared IT was merely sound
in his ears, or the echo Of MS
heartbeat, or hallucinstion. But
he was certain Of the hummins.
He raised himself halfway and
strained. He tried 10 say. It's
plane
When he looked up. there were
spots before ms eyes. There
weren't that many planes. He fell
back, feeling himself deceived.
Then, as ne lay with one eve half
open. ne was sure that he had seen
a different kind Of spot-one
that was steady but vet moving.
one that seemed to have a shape.
one that might be making the
noise that hummed vaguely and
yet insistently IN nj ear. He
jumped up. When ms feet nit the
floorbosrds. they slipped up 70
their Sims in cold water. He was
awake now. He was waving and
jumping and tearing off MS shirt
and Tapping It around him IN the
air.
Morley" ne cried out. Hey.
fells. Wake up, Cripes. old BOY.
Its q Sunderland
Morley did not stir He lsy
olanched and unconscious.
Tim topped Tapping MS shirt
"Hey-you cant pass out now"
He bent over Morley and tried 20
arouse him - first roughly. then
more gently. and finally despair
L.