Primal Spillane: Early Stories 1941-1942

A Shot in the Dark

Sinking slowly over the horizon, the sun cast its last rays through the heavy, moisture laden atmosphere hanging over the Philippines. Shell-bursts splashed the sky a dull crimson, until it glowed as if on fire. Slowly the sharp car-r-umph of the explosions narrowed down in an ever decreasing circle, throwing dirt and huge trees into the air.

Charlie Peters nudged his companion. “The Japs are starting to get the range. Another hour, and our battalion is going to be cut off from the base!”

George Hale grinned, hugged his machine gun, and hitched his bag of grenades higher up on his shoulder.

“In case you haven’t noticed it... we’re already cut off! Some got through before the barrage started, but the blasted Japs stuck a machine gun up in the entrance to the pass, and are cutting down every one of the boys that try to get by!”

“Can’t we pop ’em off with this baby? We’ve plenty of ammo left!”

“Not a chance! We could set ’er up within range and try it, but it’s no use. They’re so well concealed that we couldn’t touch ’em, and as soon as the bullets gave out we’d be dead ducks!”

“Well,” Charlie said, “if we stay here we’re gonners. The big guns are creepin’ up on us!”

George said nothing. For two days the battalion had been trying to reach its command after a successful raid on the Jap supply base, but the wily brown men had forced them into a death trap. Now the pincers were slowly closing, threatening to wipe the entire group out of existence, big guns blasting closer and closer.

George took in every detail of his surroundings. Before them lay a small jungle of stunted trees, lava formations and shell holes. Heavy caliber shells would whine overhead, then crash with a deafening thud a few hundred yards off. Each new burst grew closer. On all sides the remnants of the battalion, hopelessly ensnared, were being pushed back. Before long, the sheer walls of a lava hill would be at their backs, and that would be the last!

To one side a narrow gorge cut through the hill, but mounted on a small ledge in a commanding position a few yards above the ground was a Japanese machine gun crew. Their weapon meant death to anyone who tried to go up the hill or through. The chances were one in a million that anyone would make the safety of the home base!

But George started to grin. It spread across his freckled face until it was a huge chuckle. “Charlie, ole boy,” he laughed, “I think we have a chance!”

Peters looked at him gloomily.

“Don’t try to kid me. I can see what things are like!”

“I’m not kidding! The chance is a slim one, but it’s the only one we have left. If it works we get through, if it doesn’t... well, we’d get it anyway. Are you game to try it?”

“Okey by me, George. I’m ready to try anything!”

‘Then come on! Let’s take Betsy apart here. We haven’t much time!”

Quickly they stripped down the machine gun, loaded the parts into slings and threw them over on their backs. Tall grasses hid their movements from prying eyes. Their every motion was careful, for the trees were full of snipers, ready to pick them off, while bands of Japs scurried around behind every lava hill.

The pass was a quarter of a mile to the north, and this was their destination. Dusk was swiftly approaching, and the time was perfect for George’s plan. The pair would crawl on their stomachs when the grass thinned out. Where it stood head high they would dash through its cover.

Occasionally porous rock would shield them. Bullets spanged from the lava as they were spotted by snipers, but the Japs, thinking that the machine gun in the pass would finish them, made no strong attempt to stop them. Whenever George and Charlie passed a group of their soldiers, they passed the word to be ready to run for the pass.

Charlie stopped for a moment to catch his breath. “Gee, George, did you see the way those guys’ eyes lit up back there? We gotta make this work, they’re depending on us!”

“It’ll work, all right. The more I think about it the better it seems!’

The sun was dropping low when they reached the hill that the gorge ran through. They scrambled up the side to the protection of a bunch of scrubby trees. In front of them was a straight stretch of open lava rock, and beyond was the ledge which hid the Japs. Suddenly a shot zinged off the rock.

“George! They saw us!”

George grinned. “Yeah, I made sure of that! Let them know we’re here. They know we can’t cross that flat space, but we’ll worry them a bit!”

“Well, what do we do now?”

“Here’s the plan.”

They conversed a few minutes, and even the solemn Charlie began to smile.

“If that won’t do it,” he said, “nothing will!” First they set up the gun, then wiggled through the short brush until they came to a huge, round boulder. For all its size, it weighed no more than a man, for it was sponge-lava rock, full of miniature caverns and tunnels made by gas bubbles. With their shoulders against the rock, they pushed it through the grasses. Finally they gave it a hard shove and it tumbled across the flat rock and came to rest about forty yards off.

The swift whirr of bullets from the Jap gun sent chunks flying from it, but they realized that it was only a ruse: Darkness had settled, but the moon overhead lit the place up brightly.

George laid his grenades down and grabbed the gun. He turned to Charlie. “You, stay here and cover me with your pistol if I’m seen, otherwise, don’t shoot!”

“I gotcha. Now watch yourself!”

A cloud crept over the moon, and in the brief shadow George got a firm grip on the gun and made a mad dash for the rock. Working with his bayonet, he dug down into the soil until he had a pit large enough to fit the gun into. Once the rock in front of him had stopped enough bullets, it would crumble to little pieces.

Even now a warning shot would careen off the side, covering him with a grey powder. He worked at the hole furiously. In a few minutes George was able to squirm in alongside the gun. Then he took off his coat. Underneath he had on a heavy woolen sweater, for the nights were cold. George looked at it.

“Well, old sweater, if my girl knew what I was going to do, she’d bean me. Imagine, after her spending days knitting it, I’m gonna take it apart in five minutes!”

He worked loose a stitch, then quickly unraveled the sweater.

Driving a stake in the soil on either side of the gun, he tied the end of the yarn to the gun handle, then ran it around the stake. He did the same with two pieces, so to move the gun, all he had to do was pull on the cord. Another string was attached to the trigger. This done, George tied the loose ends to his belt to be sure he wouldn’t drop them.

Once again a cloud came by, and he ran for the brush.

Charlie was anxious. “Does it work?”

“I hope so!” George settled himself. “Here goes!”

He pointed the gun at the rock in front of it and pulled the trigger. The lava boulder shivered, then split wide open. The gun now commanded the flats! But the Jap gun came in then. It sprayed a steady stream of flame around the flats. Few of the shots went into the clump of trees where the boys lay, for they were trying to search out the gun which they knew was on the flats.

George pulled the trigger string. Flame poured out of the muzzle to the Jap emplacement, but bounced harmlessly off the rocks. Quickly the Japs returned the fire. Bursts matched bursts. The Americans in the little valley heard the gunfire and cheered. This was their only chance to get through, and they were desperate! Nevertheless, their cheers split the night.

George nodded to Charlie. “This is it. If only those Japs are conceited enough to want to kill us with their bare hands, we’ll take ’em. Keep your fingers crossed!” Charlie crossed them.

George pulled on the trigger string and held it. A long burst spewed from the gun, then it went silent. For a moment there was silence, then a piercing shriek rang out! Six figures waving long bayonets dashed madly to the gun.

“There they come, George! They think we’ve run out of ammunition!”

George peered into the darkness. “I see them, get the grenades ready!”

Charlie stood up, a grenade in each fist. George, on the ground, kept the Japs silhouetted against the moonlight. On they came, shouting in joy at the anticipated slaughter of the helpless Yanks. They reached the gun pit... then stopped short. “Now!” George whispered.

Charlie let the grenades go. For one brief instant the Japs stood still, knowing that they’d been caught, then they turned to run. BOOM! A terrific blast, and the way was clear!

“We’ve done it!” Charlie shouted. He turned to the valley. “Come on, you guys, the road’s clear, let’s go!”

A laughing band of men, snatched from death, tore for the gorge. Charlie looked at George, who was still sitting on the ground, a funny expression on his face. “Aren’t you coming? Say! What’s the matter with you, anyway?”

George looked up hazily. “Nothing, except the reaction from not having to meet St. Peter this time!”