twigs. “Badger,” he said. “See it?”
There was a quick scramble on the far side of the glade, and it was gone. Marshall stood up stiffly. “I’ll give you that one,” he agreed. “Damn good show.” Then, remembering their bet, he peered down at his wrist-watch in the dim white light. “Six twenty-three,” he said. “Now—fox before six thirty-eight.”
Ellison said: “It don’t seem so long now as it did back in the pub.” He turned, and led the way back down the track towards the road.
In a few minutes they branched off, and came to a piece of open pasture, rough and uncared for. There was a streak of grey light over towards the east, but it was still moonlight.Ellison paused. “Over in the corner there’s an earth,” he whispered. “Old rabbit burrow.”
They waited for nearly half an hour, but nothing happened. By then the grey light was spreading over the whole sky; they gave it up, and started down the track towards their bicycles. “Bloody swindle,” said the motor salesman. “I made sure that I’d be able to produce the fox.”
The pilot said: “Maybe you shot him the other day.”
“That might be.”
And as he spoke, a big dog fox crossed the track a hundred yards ahead of them. In the half-light they saw it loping steadily away between the trees, red, furry, and with a bushy tail held level with the ground. Both said: “Fox!” at the same moment, and stood watching it till it was out of sight.
“Well, there you are,” said Ellison. “Bit late, but what’s the odds?”
“None of that,” said the pilot. He looked at his watch; it was two minutes past seven. “You took thirty-nine minutes, not a quarter of an hour. Tell you what. Buy you a drink at the ‘Black Horse’ to-night.”
“Okay.”
They recovered their bicycles and rode back to Hartley with the light wind behind them in fifty minutes. Marshall left Ellison at the road junction and turned off for the camp, arriving back in the mess in comfortable time for breakfast. He was lighting his pipe and reading the comic strip in his paper when the Tannoy sounded metallically above his head. All ranks were to remain within the camp till further notice. All crews of serviceable aircraft were to muster at their machines at 10.00.
Marshall passed by Pat Johnson on his way up to his room. Mr. Johnson said: “Did you go out this morning?”
Marshall nodded. “Saw the badger, and the fox, but not in a quarter of an hour.”
“Was it cold?”
“Awful.”
“Must be crackers,” said Mr. Johnson. “As if we don’t get enough of running round in the dark.”
“Where’s it to be? Have you heard?”
The other shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know and I can’t say that I care. It’ll look just the same as all the others when we get there, laddie.”
The morning passed in a routine of checking the aircraft, itsengines, guns, instruments, and equipment. Then they got into it and took it off for a quarter of an hour’s final test. When they taxied back to their dispersal point the Bowser was waiting to tank up the Wellington and the armourers were waiting, sitting on their little train of bombs. Bombing up began as the tank lorry drew away. When they dispersed for lunch there was only the de-icing paste to be put on, and the perspex to be polished for the night.
Marshall went into the ante-room for his beer before lunch. The Adjutant came up to him sniffing pointedly and loudly. Marshall said: “Fox and badger, sir. Not a particle of Coty, more’s the pity.”
“Did you see them?”
He had to tell the story of the night, much aware of Section Officer Robertson listening from across the room. He did not speak to her before lunch, but contrived to take his coffee from the urn immediately after her.
She said: “You saw them both, a badger and a fox?”
He nodded, smiling. “Not within the quarter of an hour. But we did see both—the badger first and then the fox.”
“Where did you go?”
“Place
There was a quick scramble on the far side of the glade, and it was gone. Marshall stood up stiffly. “I’ll give you that one,” he agreed. “Damn good show.” Then, remembering their bet, he peered down at his wrist-watch in the dim white light. “Six twenty-three,” he said. “Now—fox before six thirty-eight.”
Ellison said: “It don’t seem so long now as it did back in the pub.” He turned, and led the way back down the track towards the road.
In a few minutes they branched off, and came to a piece of open pasture, rough and uncared for. There was a streak of grey light over towards the east, but it was still moonlight.Ellison paused. “Over in the corner there’s an earth,” he whispered. “Old rabbit burrow.”
They waited for nearly half an hour, but nothing happened. By then the grey light was spreading over the whole sky; they gave it up, and started down the track towards their bicycles. “Bloody swindle,” said the motor salesman. “I made sure that I’d be able to produce the fox.”
The pilot said: “Maybe you shot him the other day.”
“That might be.”
And as he spoke, a big dog fox crossed the track a hundred yards ahead of them. In the half-light they saw it loping steadily away between the trees, red, furry, and with a bushy tail held level with the ground. Both said: “Fox!” at the same moment, and stood watching it till it was out of sight.
“Well, there you are,” said Ellison. “Bit late, but what’s the odds?”
“None of that,” said the pilot. He looked at his watch; it was two minutes past seven. “You took thirty-nine minutes, not a quarter of an hour. Tell you what. Buy you a drink at the ‘Black Horse’ to-night.”
“Okay.”
They recovered their bicycles and rode back to Hartley with the light wind behind them in fifty minutes. Marshall left Ellison at the road junction and turned off for the camp, arriving back in the mess in comfortable time for breakfast. He was lighting his pipe and reading the comic strip in his paper when the Tannoy sounded metallically above his head. All ranks were to remain within the camp till further notice. All crews of serviceable aircraft were to muster at their machines at 10.00.
Marshall passed by Pat Johnson on his way up to his room. Mr. Johnson said: “Did you go out this morning?”
Marshall nodded. “Saw the badger, and the fox, but not in a quarter of an hour.”
“Was it cold?”
“Awful.”
“Must be crackers,” said Mr. Johnson. “As if we don’t get enough of running round in the dark.”
“Where’s it to be? Have you heard?”
The other shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know and I can’t say that I care. It’ll look just the same as all the others when we get there, laddie.”
The morning passed in a routine of checking the aircraft, itsengines, guns, instruments, and equipment. Then they got into it and took it off for a quarter of an hour’s final test. When they taxied back to their dispersal point the Bowser was waiting to tank up the Wellington and the armourers were waiting, sitting on their little train of bombs. Bombing up began as the tank lorry drew away. When they dispersed for lunch there was only the de-icing paste to be put on, and the perspex to be polished for the night.
Marshall went into the ante-room for his beer before lunch. The Adjutant came up to him sniffing pointedly and loudly. Marshall said: “Fox and badger, sir. Not a particle of Coty, more’s the pity.”
“Did you see them?”
He had to tell the story of the night, much aware of Section Officer Robertson listening from across the room. He did not speak to her before lunch, but contrived to take his coffee from the urn immediately after her.
She said: “You saw them both, a badger and a fox?”
He nodded, smiling. “Not within the quarter of an hour. But we did see both—the badger first and then the fox.”
“Where did you go?”
“Place
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