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Updated: September 26, 2025
"And we owe them that much for that nice, nifty little night trapeze act we had to do through space on their account," added Slim. "Not to mention the wrecked tractor," put in Frank. "Well," spoke Lieutenant Mackinson, calling them to the business of the day, "I guess we can make a report to headquarters now and a good one, too."
It was fully a minute before either lad could express himself, and the lieutenant and Corporal Hoskins took a full measure of enjoyment out of their apparent happy gratification. "Lieutenant " Slim began. "Captain, if you please," Mr. Mackinson corrected amiably. "You see, I was in the list, too."
An hour later, fully uniformed, they were taken to the Everett and down into the wonders of the transport's wireless room, where they were introduced to Second Lieutenant Gerald Mackinson, who was to be their superior officer on the perilous trip. Lieutenant Mackinson was a square-jawed young fellow with keen eyes, bushy hair and a good breadth of shoulders.
"But, in addition to that, there is that knockout that he handed to Joe, and the midnight scare he gave Jerry and me, and finally his effort to kill Lieutenant Mackinson by slow suffocation, not to mention the nerve of the fellow in coming back the way he has." "Yes," added Jerry, "we owe him a lot, and it is up to us to figure out how we can square the debt."
With Lieutenant Mackinson leading, Jerry just behind him and Slim bringing up the rear, they crossed the five feet of narrow passageway back into the natural dungeon. The lieutenant switched on his light. Involuntarily and with a startled gesture he stepped back. "Jumping Jupiter!" exclaimed Jerry, "what's that?"
"Which, means," added Lieutenant Mackinson, "that we probably will get a chance to get right into the thick of it." On and on they went, and nearer and nearer to the scene of actual battle they came.
He was a man, they found, about forty years old, already grizzled and hardened by his field experience. And he knew how to convey orders and transact business without a moment's delay. "You are to follow the red-ink lines on this map," he told Lieutenant Mackinson, as they all leaned over his desk to follow the tracing of his pencil, with which he showed them the course they were to take.
"We're going to find it pretty heavy tramping through that snow, too," Jerry answered. "And with the wireless and rations we'll be carrying a hefty weight." "Well, boys; we're off," announced Lieutenant Mackinson, and the separating parties shook hands all around. "Take care of yourselves," he admonished, "and we'll look for you back by to-morrow."
"Sh-h-h-h!" warned Lieutenant Mackinson in a whisper, while Tom Rawle, quietly chuckling at the fat lad's misfortune, aided him to his feet. "Down flat!" said Mackinson again, as he discerned several shadows moving across a space a considerable distance to the north of them. For fully ten minutes, which seemed like an hour, they lay there, not daring to move.
The captain went staggering backward from the force of his effort and the weight of the door. The unconscious form of Lieutenant Mackinson tumbled out upon the floor. His face was almost blue from suffocation. The captain sounded three short, sharp blasts upon a whistle which he had taken from his pocket, and two oilers came running to the spot.
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