“Well, that’s that.” The Commander sighed a moment later when the last faint whistle had died away in the night. “Just one of those things, sir,” Jack agreed. At that he wondered whether he had spoken the truth. Or will there be more of them, many more? he wondered. And will one of them at last make contact with the broad side of the old _Black Bee_? “Boy, oh boy!” he whispered to himself. “That would be something!” A moment more of vast, black silence, and he was excusing himself to go down the ladder to join his buddies. “Got to turn in, sir,” he explained. “That’s right,” the Commander agreed. “Tomorrow may be a great day for us all. You never know.” CHAPTER II CONTACT On the flight deck Jack joined a group of his fighting pals. Sprawled about the deck, they were still discussing the mysterious something that had gone screaming over their heads. “It’s a Jap trick,” said Dave Dunn, a torpedo bomber pilot. “I tell you they’re closer than you think!” “They didn’t have to be too close at that,” Jack broke in. “I was on the Commander’s bridge when the thing went over.” “Oh, ho! Listen to Jackie!” Kentucky, a fighter pilot, exclaimed. “Been hobnobbin’ with the Commander!” “Shut up, Ken!” Red Sands, another fighter pilot, gave him a push. “What does the Commander think about it, Jack?” “It’s a sign. That’s what it is!” a bombardier exclaimed. “Sign of trouble ahead!” “The Commander thinks just what we all think.” Jack gave a low chuckle as he dropped to the deck. “Might be just anything—a meteor, a Jap nuisance trick—just anything!” “Nuisance trick! Say! If that thing had hit us I’ll say it would have been a nuisance!” Blackie, another fighter, exclaimed. The talk went on, but Jack, who for the moment had lost interest in the sky-screamer, was talking with his pal, Stew Sherman, radio gunner. “The Commander thinks we’ll contact a Jap task force tomorrow,” he confided. “I shouldn’t wonder,” Stew murmured softly. Unlike Jack, who was tall, slim, blond, and quick as the snap of a jackknife blade, Stew was short, solid, and rather quiet. “A message was picked up from a land-based plane,” Jack continued. “He was reporting back to his own base. That base is a long way from here, but those big old land-snoopers cruise long distances. He was reporting a Jap task force headed south. Sounds like action ahead!” “It’s our turn next,” Stew grumbled. “Last time Louie and Dave spotted the Jappies. _We’ll_ find ’em this time, or bust!” “We sure will!” Jack agreed. “Which means we’d better turn in,” Stew suggested. They were on their feet, when suddenly the squeaky notes of a badly played violin reached Jack’s ears. “Oh! Ouch!” he exclaimed in mock pain. The two boys wandered back to find Ted Armour, a fighter pilot, doing his best to murder “Turkey in the Straw.” Ted was the son of a rich stockbroker, but a real fellow for all that.