CHAPTER I Death In the Clouds

CHAPTER I

Death In the Clouds

The girl with wind-blown hair ordered the coolie pushing a cart loaded with instruments and strange radio-like boxes to come close to the big anti-aircraft gun and leave the cart there.

“You runnee this-a wire backee and fixee him plenty good.” She handed the coolie a long electric cord. The coolie vanished into the shadows of the palm trees.

“What’s the big idea?” The sergeant in command of the anti-aircraft gun sat up. The air of India was hot and moist that afternoon. He had been half asleep. Now he stared at the cart and its odd contents and then sent a second questioning look at the girl with the wind-blown hair.

“You and I are going to do a little practicing.” The girl spoke in a steady even tone. Then she smiled.

The sergeant looked her up and down. She was, he decided one of those rare girls who could make even the drab uniform of a WAC look good. She was rather large but well proportioned. “An oversize copy of a beautiful gal,” he told himself.

To the girl, after recalling her words, he said:

“Says who?”

“Says the Colonel.” Smiling a little more broadly she fished a crumpled bit of paper from her pocket and handed it to him.

“Military papers,” he grumbled as he smoothed out the sheet. “Should be kept in perfect condition, folded neatly.”

“And read.” She did not smile.

“Okay—okay, sister. All the same, that’s general orders I’m giving you. I—”

He broke off to stare at the paper. “What’s this?” He glared at the paper some more. “You are to send small balloons carrying hollow steel balls up into the sky. Then you are to find them up there in the clouds and I am to try and shoot them down?”

“That’s right.”

“What’s this? A new game for a soldier’s pastime in a strange and foreign land?” He stared at her afresh.

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