The Skyland post., 1945-06-14

| Obscured by bushes and over
hanging branches through which
they could not possibly be seen
from the air, Laura, Jerry and
Doctor Overton anxiously and
silently watched the Nazi recon-
!; naissance plane overhead.
! The little craft made it's way
, straight up the pasture at an
altitude just below the clouds,
then-as it neared the end
started to climb. In moment it
had poked its nose into the cloud,
, and for short space half plane
!, seemed suspended in the air.
Finally the gray fog swallowed
all of the craft marked with the
t bold black cross, and Laura sigh
ed with relief.
But she noticed that Jerry was
still listening to the sound of the
; planes motor, more intently than
before. The shepherds on the
l field had made no move . to re-
: move the sheep or to come back
to the plane. There was a deep
/ silence everywhere, except for
the diminishing "put-put" of the
I little planes engine.
e Suddenly the sound ceased. AT
), first Laura thought it had just
= passed beyond her range of hear
). ing, but then she realized there
t was something strange about the
E way that motors sound, faint as
r it was, had ended so quickly.
t She looked up at Jerry, ques-
t tioningly.
E "A trick, all right" he snapped.
''He was climbing more steeply
S than he needed to. Gained alti-
r tude, Travelled some distance un-
Y til he thought he was out of hear
|, ing, then cut his motor. I'll bet
: he's circling around with his mo-
tor off or idling."
e "Why?" Laura asked.
'If there's anything funny about
o this field Jerry explained quick
a ly, anything going on here, he
e figures everybody will think he's
h gone and go back to whatever
g they were doing. So he's gliding
It back to have a peek"
It II guess the guerillas are or
k to that trick,' Doctor Overtor
said. '"They haven't moved"
= There" Jerry exclaimed.
e Laura saw the plane at the mo-
n ment Jerry spoke. It slid in ar
: evil, sneaking silence from the
d dirty-gray cloud, coming from
S the north, the direction in which
it had disappeared. Jerry hac
It been right. Laura heard little
: sound from its engine, and saw
k that it's propeller turned slowly
It idling.
e But in moment there was {
Il roar as the pilot gave the engine
d the gun, the propeller whirlec
with power and the plane pointed
upward again, banking to the
north once more as it went of
into the clouds. The Nazi observ
Ter had seen the field just as it wa:
on his first trip over, so he wa:
satisfied
In two minutes they were un
loading the plane again, swiftly
and seriously.
In short while, they were al
climbing path that wound steep
ly up the Roc d'Enfer toward tht
guerillas' headquarters in thu
cave.
The smiling giant led the way
followed by his two lieutenants
Now cartridge belts were slun&
about their waists and rifles Owe
their shoulders. And they car
ried boxes of ammunition heav
ier than Laura would hav,
thought two men could lift. Thes,
men seemed partial to the boxe
of ammunition above all othe,
equipment that had been brough
in the plane.
For some time after leaving thu
pasture, they walked along thu
path through the trees in silence
each one concentrating on carry
ing the heavy burden he carried
Laura noticed that the leade
maintained a slow, steady pace
It was steep climb, and she re
called that it was two miles from
the pasture to the cave.
After fifteen minutes she wa
putting with the exertion. Lean
ing forward to bear the weigh
of the pack more easily, she KEEP
her eyes on the leaf-covered patl
at her feet. Suddenly she bump
ed into Jerry, stopped, and look
ed up.
The leader had halted, with hi
hand in the air. Then he whistlet
clear, bird-like whistle with ;
pleasant lilt to it. Ahead and t.
fho ,.SerL% Sras