“What luck! You’re just beneath him!” exclaimed the Commander. “Climb right on up and give me a whack at him as we pass.” It would be a difficult shot. There was the danger too that the Zero pilot had a pal. But up they flew. And at just the right moment the Commander poured murderous fire into the enemy, who, for three seconds, had no chance of escape. It was enough. He disappeared from sight, and to Jack’s nostrils came the stench of burning oil. “You got him!” Jack breathed. “But the snooper?” “There’s a bright spot over to the left,” said the Commander. “Might be a burning motor.” It was a burning motor of the big Jap ship. It burned more and more until the whole plane burst into flames and white parachutes bloomed against the night sky. “I think,” said the Commander, “that we should start back. There’s such a thing as going too far in this matter of testing out a plane’s cruising capacity.” “As you say, sir.” Jack spoke calmly, but inside he was all pure joy. His jet plane had proved its worth. CHAPTER XXVII STRATOSPHERE TACTICS “Do I fly this jet plane in the big show, sir?” Jack asked as he and the Commander stepped down on the _Black Bee’s_ deck half an hour later. “Not only that,” was the instant response, “but you’ll lead the parade. “And now,” the Commander ordered, “hit the hay!” Jack was too excited over past and future events to sleep long that night. He awoke with the dawn to find the sea blanketed in fog. “Just what the doctor ordered,” he said to Stew. “We’ll be able to get through the day unobserved by the enemy. And tomorrow, unless I miss my guess, we strike at dawn.” With coffee, hot cakes, and bacon stowed away, Jack made his way to the flight deck. There he obtained permission to take his jet plane below for study, inspection, and if need be, repairs. He had plenty of help with this task. There wasn’t a flier or mechanic on the _Black Bee_ who would not gladly have taken the jet plane apart piece by piece just to see what made it go. The best mechanics on the carrier were assigned to the task of going over the plane. With an eagle eye Jack watched their every move. He made sure that the oxygen equipment was in perfect order and the tubes filled to capacity. “You’re flying with me,” he said to Stew. “We’re to be the first scouts over the target. Those are the Commander’s orders. And we’ll go there in the stratosphere, fastest trip you ever made, if our jet plane holds together.” “That’s Jake with me,” Stew grinned. That was a busy day on the _Black Bee_. Every plane was inspected and given minor repairs. Fliers were given last day-before-the-battle instructions. Anti-aircraft crews went through dress rehearsals. Every man on the ship was on his toes and ready to go. No night before was ever like this. That evening Jack hunted up Mary, who had joined the Medical Corps in the sick bay, and retrieved his violin.