Chapter FIFTEEN

Hour after hour Heathcote, a prey to conflicting emotions, waited with patience at the landing beach of the Pearl Harbor seaplane station for the arrival of Fitzgerald from the scene of action. Ten hours after the momentous battle in the skies had been fought the leading pursuit plane of number two squadron hove in sight and quickly came to a landing in the bay.

As it drew up alongside the landing beach, mechanics waded out and carried Commander Fitzgerald back on their shoulders to the beach. He was almost exhausted from the long physical and mental strain he had undergone. Heathcote rushed over to him, and grasping him by the arm, almost shouted in his anxiety.

“Come over to my office quick, and tell me all about it.”

The two men walked over to the executive buildings and entered Heathcote’s office, where Fitzgerald literally fell into a chair from exhaustion and explained:

“Get me a stimulant of some kind, and then I’ll tell you what happened.”

A few moments later he began his narrative of the encounter with the pirate:

“We arrived at the position and found conditions about the same as yesterday,” he began. “The pirate was circling around at about the same altitude. I had maneuvered to the north of him to be in a better position in case he should determine to run.

“As soon as we came within 3,000 yards of him I was about to give the signal to open fire, when he began to send us a message on his short range wireless set. In it he said:

“‘I see you have complied with the conditions I stated yesterday. Are you still determined to fight?’

“I told him I was, and then he said:

“‘Well, I thought it was only fair to tell you that I have Miss Ingleton on board. She is coming out to wave to you.’

“By this time we were pretty close to the pirate’s machine. As he finished sending a figure from the forward gunner’s cockpit, and, after standing upright a few moments as though in doubt, began to wave to us rather weakly. The figure was clad in flying clothes and it was impossible to recognize who it was. There was, however, something about the waving of the arm that suggested a feminine rather than a masculine gesture. In my mind there was no doubt that it was Miss Ingleton.

“The sight of her standing there helpless at the pirate’s mercy, and undoubtedly compelled to do his bidding, made me see red. It was a good thing for the pirate that he was not near me at the time. I could have torn him limb from limb in my fury.

“The effect on the rest of my squadron was the same. I had discussed the situation fully with my pilots before we left Wake Island and had impressed upon them the fact that duty was paramount to everything. Despite their anger at the pirate’s tactics they were not at all anxious to be instrumental in the death of a woman. Still they were ready to obey my orders.

“I signaled back to the pirate to get ready for action because I was going to attack immediately and not waste any further time in theatricals. That’s what I told him. There was a change of figures in the forward cockpit of the pirate’s machine, which was undoubtedly the gunner taking the place of Miss Ingleton who went inside the machine.

“I gave the order to engage and all our ships opened fire with incendiary shells. The pirate answered vigorously. We soon found the range but he began a series of lightning-like maneuvers that demonstrated the remarkable qualities of his machine, particularly in its ability for rapid climb. He commenced to climb, and we followed him, but we were outclassed.

“He was putting up a magnificent fight, and with the advantage of maneuvrability in his favor, he succeeded in shooting down two of our machines in the first two minutes of the encounter. This loss fired the rest of our squadron with the desire to finish the pirate once for all.

“The action was now general. Our men were firing every time there was an opportunity. The advantage of superior maneuvring ability enjoyed by the pirate, however, put him in a favorable position of immunity from concentrated attack, because we were so numerous there was a chance that we might hit one another. Consequently our men were only firing when they got an absolute sight on the pirate’s machine.

“After a few minutes indulged in these tactics the pirate began a rapid descent, and we followed him as closely as possible. The battle was continued throughout the maneuvre of descent.

“Down came the pirate until he wasn’t more than a hundred feet from the surface of the ocean. In this position he went through a number of rapid evolutions fighting desperately all the time. At this altitude he showed considerable daring and succeeded in downing another of our machines. Our men were having more difficulty at the low altitude, especially while turning.

“Quite suddenly it was noticed that the forward gunner on the pirate machine was missing from his position, and for several seconds there had not been a shot fired from any part of his machine at all. Before the pirate could resume action one of our ships seemed to get a lucky hit, and the most remarkable thing I have ever seen occurred. The wings of the pirate machine literally crumpled up, and it plunged into the sea. It was not a nose dive, because he went under at a wide angle with terrific speed, leaving a tremendous wash of water behind. The whole thing happened so quickly that it was impossible to give an accurate description of the scene.

“We cruised around for a few minutes, but there was no further sign of the pirate’s machine. It had disappeared completely and carried all hands with it. We had hoped to be able to rescue Miss Ingleton, and I landed on the surface and cruised around near the scene looking for every possible chance to do this, but our efforts were in vain. There was not a single trace left of him. Apparently he had sunk absolutely and completely. There was not even a trace of oil on the surface where he disappeared.

“I am sorry to say that Flight Lieutenants Frank, Evans and Dallinger were killed in the action together with their gunners and mechanics. Their machines were completely lost, and we were unable to render them any assistance. That is our story, all there is of it.”

As he concluded, Fitzgerald rose to his feet unsteadily. A marked change had come over him as he reached the climax of his dramatic story. He was plainly in the throes of dispair. Upon his face there was a look of horror, and his hands were tightly clenched by the intensity of his feelings. His whole frame shook violently as he raised his arms and then shouted with a frenzy that was almost histerical:

“I have done my duty,--yes, I have done my duty, but I have damned my heart and soul. For the rest of my life the vision of my beloved standing irresolute and waving her arm with such hesitant fear in the pirate’s machine will be forever before me. I cannot cast it from my mind. It remains to prey upon my conscience. I have done my duty, but at what a price,--I am through. Oh! my God! I’ve killed the woman I love!”

The light of passion died out in Fitzgerald’s eyes. He wavered a moment upon his tired feet and then collapsed from sheer exhaustion and mental agony. Heathcote rushed over to him and with some difficulty managed to get him into a chair. He then reached for restoratives and began to apply them.

As he worked the door of his office opened. Heathcote looked up. On the threshold stood Arthur Ingleton, former secretary of the Navy. For several seconds the two men looked at each other, then Ingleton exclaimed:

“Tell me, what has happened to my daughter?”