Dave Dawson on Guadalcanal Part 12

"He lies, _Kommandant_," he said in perfect German. "All American pigs lie. The United States have not five carriers left in all of their navy.

Besides, we know these two were shot down by our plane yesterday."

The two words "our plane" had all of the effect on Dawson of a swift punch to the jaw. Impulsively he raced his eyes along the length of the U-boat, and particularly the forward end. It was then that he spotted telltale objects that told him the truth, and cleared up a little of the mystery of yesterday's meeting in the air with that strange seaplane. In short, he saw a plane hoist secured to the port side of the forward deck. It was fastened down in a horizontal position, but it could be raised upright at a moment's notice. He also saw that just about the entire forward deck consisted of two hatch covers that could be folded back to make a good sized opening in the deck. And although he could not look down through the steel plates to what was below, he had the very definite feeling that stowed neatly in the forward hold of the U-boat was that strange type seaplane with its wings folded back.

Airplane-carrying submarines were nothing new to Dawson, or to Freddy Farmer, either. But it was a bit of a shock to realize that they had been shot down by such a craft. And, also, that they had been rescued by the mother U-boat of the plane.

"Yes, yes, I know!" Dawson heard the n.a.z.i commander grunt impatiently at the j.a.p. "Of course our plane shot them down. But you do not know these American dogs as I do. Let them lie long enough and before they realize it they are telling you the truth. You will see what I mean. Well, take them to my quarters, and wait. This is a bad hour to remain on the surface too long. We will submerge at once."

The n.a.z.i had spoken in German, and both Dawson and Freddy Farmer understood him perfectly. However, both were very careful not to let that fact show in their faces. As a matter of fact, they stared puzzle-eyed at the n.a.z.i and then looked enquiringly at each other. The n.a.z.i saw them do that and laughed harshly.

"Do not worry, swine," he spoke in harsh English. "When the Fuehrer is in your White House all of you American dogs will be taught to speak German. There will be but one language then. German!"

The n.a.z.i nodded violently, and then snapped a glittering eye at the j.a.p naval officer as though inviting him to take issue with his words. The j.a.p, however, refused to take issue. He simply smiled politely and then motioned for Dave and Freddy to climb over the lip of the conning tower hatch and start down inside the boat. When they reached the bottom of the conning tower ladder which ended in the central control room, and nerve center of the U-boat, the j.a.p didn't give them so much as half a chance to look around. He had his gun out then, and he jabbed them both hard in the back and pointed aft. The pain from the jab made firecrackers go off in Dave's brain. And for one crazy instant he was tempted to wheel around and drive both fists into that slant-eyed, hateful face. Common sense, however, came to his rescue instantly and he checked the urge and went stumbling along in step with Freddy Farmer.

When they were about half-way aft along the narrow companionway, the j.a.p halted them and more or less pushed and shoved them into a fairly good sized cabin. The hundred and one different smells of the insides of a submarine were just as heavy and noticeable there as they had been in the control room. However, Dawson could not help gasping impulsively at the luxuriousness of the fittings and furnis.h.i.+ngs. He had been in other n.a.z.i U-boats, but never in one in which the commander had fitted himself out so proudly as this one. For a second he wondered if the n.a.z.is had been forced to "doll up" their U-boats to get commanders and crews to take them out on their hazardous voyages. On second thought, though, he decided that all this was simply a n.a.z.i touch to impress their comrades in cold murder, the j.a.panese.

Just the same, the cabin was certainly well appointed, and Dave secretly hoped the n.a.z.i would question them for quite some time so that he would have a good chance to relax and get a lot of the salt water and sun stiffness out of his joints. But he experienced a very rude awakening even as he was expressing that hope to himself and starting to sit down in one of the fancy chairs. The j.a.p's gun came out fast and cracked him hard on the side of the head.

"Dog!" the slant-eyed one screamed. "How dare you seat yourself in the presence of an officer of the Imperial j.a.panese Navy! Stand on your feet. Over there, by the door. Move a muscle and I will take greatest pleasure in shooting you."

With a tremendous effort Dawson forced back the surging, blazing anger that rose up in his throat to choke him. Then he joined Freddy by the door and stood there with his gaze fixed hard and unwinking on the j.a.p.

The little brown rat sneered and leered, and tried to stare Dawson down.

He didn't even get to first base, though. And presently it was he who lowered his eyes. And so that was the picture as there came clanking sounds and roared out orders from various directions inside the U-boat.

A moment later the craft trembled and shook from end to end. And Dave felt the deck under his feet slant as the craft dived and went under water.

Three, four, five minutes ticked by, and then the n.a.z.i commander pushed through the door inside. He seemed surprised to see Dawson and Farmer standing stiff as a couple of wooden Indians by the door. He glanced sharply at the j.a.p, and made sounds under his breath. Then he went over and dropped his big frame into a chair, and sat regarding the two youths out of wide set eyes that held nothing but the look of death in them.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

_Give and Take_

"Well, my little fool friends! You don't seem to realize that I have saved your useless lives, do you? Well, I have, and you should be very grateful and thankful. None of your swine comrades would have come into these waters to pick you up."

The n.a.z.i had stared so long, and been silent for so long, that the sudden explosion of his voice made both youths start a little. Dawson quickly got control of himself, and shrugged.

"We're very glad to be rescued," he said in a flat voice. "But in another couple of days the fleet would have been back from up north, and we'd probably have been sighted."

The n.a.z.i arched his eyebrows and looked politely impressed. That is, save for his eyes. In their depths flickered pin points of polished steel.

"From up north, eh?" he murmured. "All the five carriers are returning in two days, yes?"

"That was the plan of operation, and--" Dave said, and then stopped himself, and bit his lip.

Freddy Farmer had of course been waiting for just such an opening, and he quickly took advantage of it.

"Keep your mouth shut, Dave!" he cried in an expert burst of anger.

"Besides, it all depends upon their rendezvous with Task Forces Seven and Ten."

"Now who's blabbing?" Dave snarled, and whirled on him. "Why don't you keep your big mouth shut, too?"

Freddy started to make a blistering retort but simply went through the facial motions of being about to say it.

"Oh, what does it matter, anyway?" he finally said sullenly. "If they've been patrolling these waters they know as much about these things as we do. Quite a bit more, I fancy."

"Ah!" the n.a.z.i breathed hard. "So you are English, yes? Now I understand your words. The English always quit before the battle is completely lost. Look at Dunkirk. They ran from us there. And Greece, and Crete.

And even at Singapore and Malaya you ran from the brave j.a.panese. Yes, yes. What does it matter now? You English know in your dirty hearts that you can never win!"

Real, honest to goodness anger blazed up in Freddy's face, and for one terrible moment Dawson feared that his English pal was going to hurl himself bare-handed at the n.a.z.i. Freddy, however, managed to keep a firm grip on himself, and he eyed the German coldly.

"The opinion of a n.a.z.i is unimportant," he said in a scathing voice. "It always has been among the peoples of the civilized world."

The U-boat commander, however, was not to be excited into anything.

Perhaps he was too comfortable in his chair. Perhaps for once in his baby-killing life he decided that brute violence wouldn't gain him what he wanted. So instead he laughed at Freddy as one might laugh at a little boy who has suddenly flown into a childish tantrum.

"Even save the life of an Englishman, and he is still an ungrateful dog," he finally sneered. "But all this does not interest me. So you have five carriers, eh? And they are up north meeting two other task forces, eh? That _is_ interesting. What are they doing up there?"

Dave looked at the scowling j.a.p naval officer, grinned, and then returned his gaze to the n.a.z.i's face. He shrugged and gave a little shake of his head.

"I don't know," he said. "Maybe it's Tokyo, and _for keeps_ this time.

We were to get our orders later."

The j.a.p made a sound like air coming out of a punctured tire, and wild hatred seemed to come out all over him in lumps.

"Lies, all lies!" he screamed. "Never again will Tokyo be bombed by you American dogs. We have seen to it, yes! You will all be dead and in the water before you even sight our sh.o.r.es!"

Dawson shrugged again but kept his gaze on the German's face.

"Were you on the surface for very long last night?" he suddenly asked.

The n.a.z.i started, and blinked.

"What?" he demanded. "What's that?"

"I asked if you were on the surface much last night?" Dave repeated.

"Was your radio open all the time?"

The German hesitated as though reluctant to reveal even that bit of utterly useless information. Then he made up his mind, and nodded curtly.

"Yes, we were," he said. "And the radio was open. Why?"

"You didn't hear the Tokyo station, did you, by any chance?" Dave asked softly, and leaned forward slightly. "Did you hear _any_ Tokyo broadcast? Say from midnight on?"

The j.a.p hissed some more, but Dawson didn't so much as look at him. He kept staring at the n.a.z.i, who was all scowls now. And there was a queer, unfathomable look in his eyes. Then suddenly he blurted out the question.

"You mean that Tokyo was bombed last night?"