The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1942-10-23
CHAPTER XVII

II d I1GlIlkG1! SOlllIlS IcPcdtCO'
''Look at the rounded slant-back
wings, that tail assembly, the shape
of the body. 1t uses inverted-V en-
gines for smoother streamlining-"
But Curt couldn't stand there star
ing all night. He swung the beam Of
light about and Immediately the
plane was swallowed in blackness.
Quickly the men went over the big
building-one building, they found,
now they were inside. Curt knew
the two hangers at the other end of
the field were separate buildings,
the shed-roof chemical space be-
tween being walled off on either
side.
Along the entire front of these
three joined buildings were thin
stacks of lumber piled to present
the picture Curt had got through
field glasses a few days ago, of
stacks of pipe, or piles of boxes and
crates. With doors open it would
look like solidly packed ware
house. Actually, all materials could
be pulled down quickly.
The big plane they first came
upon appeared to be ready for fight.
In the other hangar was a second
plane not yet fully assembled. The
motors and propellors were missing,
but Curt found the engines quickly.
The two square boxes he'd seen
pass through Cabeza only that morn
ing, the boxes stenciled Genera
tors" had been knocked apart, and
the two motors for this plane stood
revealed on the floor ready to be
hoisted into position.
'What'd l tell you'll" growled Curt.
Gas soon as got the low-down on
Montaya tonight all the pieces be-
gan to slide in together and I knew
this was the answer: But man alive,
in spite of my eyes, it's haFd to be-
ieve! Such a long shot ranks with
suicide!"
"There you have i'll" Collins
voice was bitter. It had risen, but
the slapping echoes brought it down
again. "a surprise attack! The Ca
nal has the best defense possible,
and it's being constantly improved
and extended. But protection for
the Canal depends on sufficient
warning to get planes into the air, to
get anti-aircraft ground units into
action
"And these planes, coming over
land, from unsupported, close-in neu-
trail territory"
''Why, man, they'd be over the
Canal before effective resistance
could be organized. Why, some of
our advance air bases and listening
posts are farther out from the Canal
than this"
A long silence followed, finally
broken by Curtis sour, "Yeh, but
we haven't got all night. There's
something else to locate. Mitchell's
cheap Jap pump neutrality-suspicious.
boxes like oversize coffins."
Collins pointed briefly in the beam
of light, and Curt swung it from
one end to the other Of bulkhead
which rose to the height of the win
dow stripping along the back Of
the central section, the machine
shop.
In front of the wall was a heavy
workbench on which lay in orderly
precision small parts, tools, instru-
ment panels, evidently intended for
the unassembled plane. At one end
was a door. They found it pad
locked.
Nothing we can do about that"
muttered Curt.
He cast about for something to
climb on, found a stool which he
placed on the bench. Standing on
this he peered over the top of the
boarding.
Rooted" he said. He pulled the
chisel from his pocket and pried
about to find a plank looser than
the others.
When he found board he could
force up and had cast his beam
of light inside the bulkhead, his
body stiffened, not muscle moved.
At last he climbed down silently,
handed over his fiashlight to Col
Inns, motioned the other up.
Stacked inside the long storage
room, securely braced on heavy
timbers, was single row of eight
streamlined aerial bombs, each the
height of a man. On the shelf
above them was a neat row of eight
nose fuses and eight tail fuses ready
to be screwed into place.
ssAll right, we've found out what
we wanted to know" growled Curt,
and amended himself, Ito know for
sure. Let's get out of here. It'll
take time to get back to Tempujo."
He replaced the stool exactly as
he'd found it. Under the trees again,
they forced back the panel Of CORFU
gated sheeting, bent nails sufficient
" to hold it down land prayed their
entry wouldn't be discovered. While
Collins climbed into his clothes
again, beyond the fence, swearing
.1af{I1v over. eo,,oo ficke ha,1 niaknd