He straightened out and headed back to Kunmin., dropping as he flew. Five minutes out of the airfield, he saw ten P40-Bs, flying in pairs, climbing out in the direction of the Japanese.
When he called the tower for permission to land, the radio worked perfectly.
One of the eager warriors of the Second Squadron, to whom the plane Canidy was flying was normally assigned, was waiting for Canidy when he taxied up to the revetment. He had his helmet on and his pistol, and Canidy realized that he had forgotten to wear his. The pilot obviously intended to race off after the others just as soon as his ship was fueled and rearmed. He was to be disappointed. There were four bullet holes in the aircraft fuselage, and two in the right wing. There had been no indication of any kind of damage to the controls or the engine, but John Dolan firmly announced that the plane wasn’t going anywhere until they had a close look at it.
The eager warrior, denied the joy of combat, furiously pulled his helmet off and threw it on the ground, smashing the right lens of his goggles.
Shaking his head, Canidy started walking toward the mess. (@rookshanks appeared in what had been Canidy’s Studebaker. He had been relieved of it as soon as they’d reached Kunming.
Canidy opened the door and got in beside him. made two radio calls,” Canidy said, handing Crookshanks the S. S. It chart. “There was no response to either. I marked where they were when we spotted them.”
“You spotted them?” Crookshanks asked innocently.
“Douglass spotted them,” Canidy corrected himself. “Wh, _11 waggled my wings, he was already signaling me.”
“Did you attack?”
“Yeah.”
“And?”
“Having thirties and fifties is a pretty stupid idea, you know that?” Canidy said. “You don’t open fire until you’re within thirty range, which means giving away the safety factor the extra range of the fifties gives you.”
“What would you suggest?”
“I’d rather have all fifties.”
“Impossible.”
“Then two fifties with more ammo. Fair over the thirty barrel openings in the wing.”
“There’s no more room for fifty ammo in the nose.”
“Then I’d still get rid of the thirties,” Canidy said. “I like the idea of being able to shoot at people beyond the range they can re-turn it.9@
“As a matter of fact, Canidy,” Crookshanks said, “there is hardly any distance in the maximum range between them. Not enough to make any real difference.”
“The dispersal is different,” Canidy argued. “At two hundred yards, the thirties scatter all over.”
“So do the fifties.”
“Not as bad as the thirties,” Canidy continued to argue. “Because the fiftycaliber projectile is heavier and more stable. And a fifty hit is like three hits, or four, with a thirty.”
“I will take your suggestion under advisement, Mr. Canidy,” Crookshanks said. “But getting back to my original question, What happened when you attacked?”
“If you mean, did I shoot anything down, I don’t think SO.”
“But you did attack. And when did you break off engagement?”
6When I ran out of ammunition,” Canidy said. stel. Canidy went to th, Crookshanks dropped him at the ho ey were all, he realized, in the ah club. There was no one there. Thor else over at the radio shack, vicariously getting their thrills by lis telling to the radio chatter.
The bartender, a Chinese Christian from the Missionary Col. appear ed. lege ,I would like a glass of Scotch,”Canidy said. “A double double.’ “So early, sair?’9 just the booze, please Canidy said. “No moral judgments.”
He took a stiff swallow, and a moment later another. Then he mixed water with what was left and started to sit down at a table to read an old copy of Life magazine.
And then, very suddenly, he was sick to his stomach. He barely made it to the john before he threw up everything he’d eaten for breakfast.
He looked at his watch. It was quarter to ten.
Crookshanks sent for Canidy at half past seven that night. He slid a leather box, three inches by eight, across his desk to him. It was open. It held a medal of some kind.