Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-08
By MAC HYMAN
copyrisht. 1884, By Mac LYMAN
CHAPTER XIII

CHAPTER XIII
Anyhow we finally got them all on the
truck and got out to the plane. and Ben's face
was about as white as ever seen it. never
seen him so disguised. tried to get him not
to notice what was going on and everything
by walking around real straight and saying,
Sir" to everybody, but it didn't help none.
He just set there with his face white and
said. They never can fly this plane, Will, in
the shape they're in, but We'll have to go
along with them Well just have to 60"
Then Lieutenant Bridges come up to me
while we were standing around and said,
Where did yall go last night?" and popped
up real straight and said, mo excuse sir"
even though it didn't make no sense, but
said it loud enough for Ben to hear me: but
then Lieutenant Bridges said, well. that's
a silly place to go. What made you think of
going there?" which didn't make no sense
neither, but I said again. mo excuse. sir"
and saluted, but could see Ben out OF the
corner Of my eye shaking his head sideways
So give up and said, I'VE went to town.
Where did yall go?"
And he said, mo excuse. sir" and went
to giggling again. and in minute heered
him around the other side Of the plane saying
to somebody ASK me where went last
night" and they asked him. and he said,
mo excuse, sir" and commenced to giggle
again.
Anyhow, there was two mechanics on
top of the plane when we got there and they
had the cowling of the number two engine
with a little ladder running up to it, and
finally one Of them climbed down and come
over to Lieutenant Bridges and said. Number
two engine is out, sir and there's mag drop
on number three. It's in no condition to fly
at this time
And Lieutenant Bridges said, what do
you mean, it's in no condition to fly!'
well, it just amt" the fellow said cts
|. In bad shape and :. :"
Whats the matter with you?" Lieutenant
Bridges yelled at him. Don't you have any
suts9"
1t Amt Just Cuts
"Well. it amt matter of that, sir" the
fellow said because I'm stationed here ana
don't fly nohow, so it ain. matter OF CUTS
/ with me, just think -
st used to fly planes that didn't have but
one little btty engine" Lieutenant Bridges
said "And here I've got more engines than
I can even count don't even know how
many engines I do have on this plane, ana
you come up here telling me about one little
ole bitty engine -.
"Well, / :.
"Who took those cowlngs of anyhow?
Put them back on" Lieutenant Bridges SAID.
whats this Air Force coming to anyhow
So they took on that way while and Ben
got to worrying more and more about 1t. He
said he didn't think they could fly the plane
at all. so I said, well. Ben, If you want me
to. Ill clomp them, and maybe when they
come to
but he shook his head and said. "You cant
do that, win, They're officers and II you
clomped them, that would be the worse thing
you can do. The only thing we could do is
try to talk them out of it, and we amt even
supposed to do that"
But tried it anyhow because seen ne
wanted me to. I went over to Lieutenant
Bridges and said, why don't we just walt
over until tomorrow? Maybe then
mo excuse, SIR he said. Then he turned
and looked at me and said Look, who's the
pilot around here? I am, amt I You go on
and take the train If you don't want to ny
with me. Me. fly, that's what do. OF we
go into the wild blue yonder. Put those
cowlings on back there. Snap it up now.
Snap. Snap. Snap"
SO seen there warnt any use in talking
to him any longer so went over and tried to
talk to Lieutenant Gardella but don't think
he even heered me. He was setting there
blinking his eyes and talked at him while.
only he didn't answer, and finally reached
down and waved my hand in front of his face.
but he still just set there, staring ahead and
blinking. So then climbed up in the plane
to try to talk to some of the 9th only
Lieutenant Kendall was already asleep, s.,>'
/ couldn't get Lieutenant Cover to pay no
attention to me because he was already navi-
eating just as hard as he could, writing and
singing maps around and peeping down tubes
and things, and every time said something to
him, he told me to go away, he was busy.
I No Use to Talk
So I finally give it up and went back
outside to where Ben was setting under the
/ tail and told him there didn't seem to be much
/ way of stopping them, but that Lieutenant
Bridges had said we could 60 back on the
: train ifn we wanted to. But Ben shook his
: head and said, eve just cont do that, Will"
"How you mean we cant ;"
I'VE can't" he said. Were supposed to
stay with the plane and you know that as
: good as do. We can't just get of and take
/ q train back every time something comes up.
You know better than that, Will. You 60
/: ahead if you want to, but myself. I'll stick
7: with the plane like I'm supposed to-"
+. never seen him so firm in my life-he
=. didn't argue or get mad or nothing; he just
/: said it and finally got up and walked away,
still shaking his head, and wouldn't even dis
|: cuss it with me no more.
/: So didn't know what to do. I seen he
didn't want to go but there warnt no way Of
!, talking him out Of it. The mechanics was
!: still trying to get the cowlngs back on the
!: engine, and Lieutenant Bridges strutted
around and yelled out orders at them. went
over and set down on one of the wheels of
the plane and started rolling cigarette, but
then thought about being too close to the