Primal Spillane: Early Stories 1941-1942

Fast Thinking

Swaying lightly in the breeze, the grey bulk of the observation balloon tugged gently at its cable, which was anchored to the forward end of the little freighter several thousand feet below.

“Biff” Coakley grinned at the other passenger in the cockpit and pointed down. “Never think from the looks of things that there’s a war going on, eh?”

“Shucks, no!” Whitey answered. “Here we are out to spot subs, with the dickens being raised in the Philippines only a few miles away, and yet everything is as quiet as a tomb!”

“That’s what I don’t like. There ought to be plenty of activity around here, with our transports landing troops all over the place, but nope, not a thing!”

But he was wrong. Far below the surface, out of sight of even the eyes in the balloon, an iron sea-serpent slid along the floor of the ocean. Ears were glued to sounding devices that located the exact position of the little ship above. Slowly — not knowing what protection the freighter might have, the submarine rose. Then in a furious rush, shot to the surface like a frightened fish!

Far from being caught unawares, the crew of the rusted freighter rushed to their guns. They were too late. Bubbles boiled from the nose of the sub, and a moment later the quiet was ripped apart by the rending crash of a torpedo!

Biff’s eyes popped. “Whitey! The dirty skunks got them!”

“Golly!” Whitey breathed softly. “We’re done for!”

But something was happening. Very slowly the balloon was being drawn closer to the sinking freighter! The sub had gone, leaving the crew of the doomed ship to die in the ocean! Now the balloon was being dragged down to the same fate! Biff clutched the rail of the small pit.

“Somebody must have started the winch going to roll us down as soon as the sub was sighted! If only we can make it before the tub sinks!”

“Everybody must have been killed by that torpedo, else we’d see some movement. Hey! She’s starting to list!”

It was listing, all right! Like a slowly filling cardboard box, the freighter was settling. Even in the few minutes since the attack, waves were starting to wash over the decks! The winch kept grinding, hauling in the rubbery form above. One hundred, fifty, thirty feet to go...

“Hang on, Whitey!” Biff yelled, and plunged over the side! He landed with a thud on the wave-washed deck, scrambled to his feet and smacked at a lever on the side of the grinding winch. The drum stopped revolving.

Whitey looked down from the short length of cable that held the balloon to the winch that would have chewed them to pieces!

“Wow! That was too close for comfort! What now?” He slid down the steel rope and joined Biff. Desperately they searched the decks, but there was not one sign of life. The torpedo had seen to that. By the time their inspection was over, both boys were seething with fury and hate for the rats that had started all this. Their fingers longed to wrap around a Nipponese neck and crush the life out of it!

Whitey looked at Biff. “See which way the wind is blowing, pal?”

“Yeah, about North-North East, why?”

“Heading for Japan, see? And we have to get off this crate mighty soon, or else! Do y’ get me?”

“Get you! I’ll say I do! Come on!”

With the speed of desperation, Biff and Whitey raced to a cabin a few feet away. They crashed into the door sending it flying open. Fiercely they dragged out a wheeled rack, and on its springy bed lay six man-sized bombs, instruments of destruction capable of wrecking a good-sized ship! They piled them into the cockpit, then pulled the cord on their water ballast tank.

“Think she’ll go up, Biff?”

“Yup! Draining this tank will just about equalize the weight, although it isn’t going to be funny when we toss these things over. We’ll probably shoot up into thin air so fast we won’t be able to catch our breath!”

“Well, I always wanted to see the earth from the stratosphere! Let’s go, the old girl is about ready to give up!”

They hopped to the balloon’s metal cockpit, squeezing in between the ugly snouts of the bombs. Just in time Biff leaned over and gave the toggle connection a flip, and the balloon shot skyward. Below them the ancient freighter threw her nose into the air, pointing at them as if with a ghostly finger, then settled under the waves. Biff and Whitey snapped a smart salute to their departed comrades.

Bulging awkwardly at first, with loose folds of fabric flopping in the breeze, the balloon inflated as it went up, until the gas was firm within the hide. Finally it came to rest with the boys breathing fast in the rarefied atmosphere. The altimeter dial registered 18,000 feet.

“How’re we doing, Biff?”

“OK, I guess. Our wind drift is just about right. This is a crazy stunt, but it might do some good.”

“We had no other choice. All the lifeboats were smashed, anyway!”

The morning sun gleamed brightly, setting off everything below, but the sea was calm, and not a ship was in sight. Slowly the sun rose to its zenith, then settled down over the western horizon. The day had dragged slowly; now the dusk brought a freezing cold to the upper regions. Whitey and Biff shivered through their sheepskin clothes.

Gradually growing dimmer, the red ball had not quite gone down, when the boys glimpsed the trace of smoke on the horizon. Then the smoke resolved itself into a ship, then two. Finally, stretched out on the ocean was a line of nine boats.

Biff shook Whitey. “Look! A squadron of battlewagons!” He snatched up his binoculars. “Well, I’ll be... they’re Japs!”

But someone else had spotted them, too. Away in the dusk was a flash, and a moment later one of the ships lurched, and with a terrific crack her sides blew out! Seemingly moments later other boats appeared, and a wicked fight threw the ocean into a frenzy. Biff and Whitey were besides themselves with joy, for the other boats were American.

From their vantage point they saw it all, shouting unheard encouragement to the men from the U.S.A. But the balloon blew steadily onward, leaving the battle behind. Down below, the air was thick with smoke, debris littered the water. It was evident that the American boats had gotten the better of the scrap!

Suddenly Whitey gasped. “Biff! Over there... a Jap aircraft carrier!”

Biff paled. “My gosh! Those planes’ll knock off every one of our boats. Why do we have to be so helpless! If only we could let them know!”

“We can do better than that. We’re heading directly over that trouble-maker — if you get what I mean!” Biff s eyes widened, for the possibilities of the thing were enormous!

The wind was their friend, that day. It blew them on a true course straight over the flat flight deck of the carrier. Biff and Whitey wrestled one of the huge bombs on to the side of the cockpit. “Now!”

A push, and the messenger of death hurtled down! Quickly another, then another went over. A rending crash from below marked a direct hit! Cheering, they pushed over the last. Explosions were coming up steadily as the bombs found their target!

But suddenly the boys were sucking in air desperately, for the released weight had thrown them up into thinner air... and they were still going up! Then, on the sinking carrier underneath them a gun spoke! Antiaircraft guns fired in one last attempt to destroy the thing that had destroyed them! Flashes burst around the balloon, while steel fingers whistled through the air!

“I... I guess we’re d-done for, Biff.”

“Hang on, feller, you never can tell!” Biff dragged himself to the side and looked over. He grinned slowly, for coming at full speed was the American squadron to finish off the carrier. What guns were left on the Jap ship barked, but they were listing so badly that their aim was ineffective.

Still the anti-aircraft gun spat. Its crew had hate in their hearts for the giant bag that hung almost motionless thousands of feet in the blue. Shell after shell poured in a steady stream skywards. Biff and Whitey flattened themselves on the floor, seeking what little protection they could. The orange flashes burst closer to the balloon with every shot. In a moment the gun crew would have the exact range, and that would be the last of them!

With an ear-splitting roar, a shell blasted through the dusk. The balloon lurched violently, jerking the occupants of the cockpit against its sides. Surely this was the end. From above came the hiss of escaping gas. The balloon stopped rising, then it slowly began to descend. The hiss grew louder as the fabric tore. Both lads were on their feet. They could breathe without difficulty now. The balloon had dropped out of the thinner air. They were fast becoming an easy target — The next shot would — But, the carrier would never shoot another shot! As the boys watched, the massive hulk rolled over like a great, tired turtle — and slid beneath the waves.

Lazily, the huge, grey balloon mass floated down to the sea. It wasn’t until it was barely a thousand feet from the ocean that it was noticed by the American ships. Immediately lifeboats went over the side. Biff and Whitey shouted with glee, and pounded each other on the back. They were saved!

Mess on board the cruiser that night was a wild place, indeed. The boys told and retold their story.

Later, as they were crawling into their bunks, Biff grinned over at Whitey. “Well, we didn’t make Japan...”

“Nope. We didn’t, but by gosh, we sure showed the Emperor what to expect when we do!”