Part 6 (1/2)
The Ger hands and jabbed a desk button with a thick finger As though byopen and a German soldier with a Staff Orderly's arm band about his tunic sleeve popped into the room The officer fired words at hile one of them The orderly saluted and then motioned for Dave and Freddy to walk out ahead of hiht of stairs, and then up He stopped the, pushed open a door and waved them inside There were two army cots with a blanket for each, a couple of broken chairs, and nothing else A single as at the rear of the rooood five feet up from the floor It was thick with dust and cobwebs and looked as if it hadn't been opened in years
The two boys glanced at the roo sound of a bolt being shot horasped hold of the knob It turned in his hand, but the door refused to open He gulped and glanced back at Freddy The English youth's face had paled a bit, but his eyes were grimly defiant
CHAPTER SIX
_They'll Never Beat Us!_
”Keep the old chin up, Freddy,” said Dave ”They can't do anything to us They wouldn't dare! Don't let it get you, fellow”
Freddy lifted his face and sestion of tears in his eyes
”I'm not afraid of them!” he said scornfully ”I'h ood aet over I could chew nails when I think of it falling into the hands of the blasted Gerhed and doubled up a fist and put it under the other's chin
”Hey, none of that!” he cried ”You're s about my pals Gee whiz, you were swell downstairs, Freddy You talked right up to hi in my boots You bet! Don't worry about that aure out soht hope flickered in the English youth's eyes
”You think so, Dave?” he whispered ”You think there's a chance we ht steal it away froorous nod ”You just keep everything under control, and Sh-h-h! I think so up the stairs Coet the idea we're worried at all”
”Right-o!” Freddy whispered back and gave Dave's hand a quick squeeze
”Count on me to hold up my end, Dave!”
Footsteps were now just outside the door They heard the outside bolt slap back and then the door was pushed open The Geruard stood in the hallway outside In one hand he carried a battered tray containing food, and tucked under the other arm was a bundle of old clothes Just behind hi like a full otten you, boys?” he boomed and strode into the room ”But of course not Here is food for you And take off your clothes and put on these things I will have what you're wearing mended and cleaned up So!”
”That's very kind of you, Colonel,” Freddy said in a faintly htfully disappointed, you know”
”Disappointed?” the Gerave him a puzzled look
”Quite so,” Freddy said and started peeling off his dust and dirt caked clothes ”I can assure you you'll find no secretNo matter what you suspect, we really aren't spies, you know”
The Gerhed loudly but there was a look in his eye that did not ence officer didn't like the idea of a sixteen year old English boy seeing right through hilass
”Why that's ridiculous!” the Colonel cried ”Of course you aren't spies
I just want to have your clothes cleaned We Gerood care of the people we have to protect You will do well to think of that when you return to your hoet into these clean clothes and then eat your food There, that is better, yes!”
The officer waited until the guard had gathered up the boys' clothes, then he suard Dave and Freddy waited until the bolt was ja half starved, they fell upon the tray of food The very first htful surprise to them both The food was excellent and there was a lot of it They wolfed it down for ahand on Freddy's
”Wait a minute!” he said in a low voice ”I think this is another part of the trick he thinks he's playing on us”
”What do you rief! You think there is so in this food? I once heard a story about the Ger that makes a prisoner talk
But I'm starved, Dave!”