Part 14 (1/2)

The tired Belgian officer clicked his heels and saluted the two boys

They returned the salute and as Dave looked into the Belgian's eyes he saw a look there he would never forget as long as he lived That officer kneas co toward him from the Albert Canal He knew that he would stay where he was and face it And he also knew that he would probably never live to see another sunrise In a feords he had told of all that was in his thoughts He had siian's loyalty and great courage stirred Dave to the depths of his soul He irasped the officer's hand and shook it

”I hope you beat the stuffing out of them Lieutenant,” he said in a rush of words ”Freddy and I will be rooting for you, and how!”

”You bet ill!” the English youth echoed ”I jolly well hope you chase theian officer ain The boys turned away and followed the big Sergeant through the patch of woods to the far side where a unit of s cars was parked in under the trees The Sergeant cli car and et in back A couple of eant was skillfully tooling the car across open fields toward the southwest

For a few ian troops that were all around theh he was in military technique, and so forth, he instinctively knew that the brave Belgians were ainst the Ger still fresh in his memory he knew in his heart that all he saould be just a waste of gallant effort Those Gerht through as though the Belgians weren't there at all It actually made his heart hurt to watch them and so he slumped down in the seat of the car, and let his body sith the bumps, and stared moodily at the back of the driver's neck

Presently Freddy reached over and placed a hand on his knee and pressed it

”Chin up, Dave!” he heard Freddy say ”We'll get through all right, you wait and see”

Dave shook his head and sat up a bit and grinned

”Sure we'llabout that I was just thinking”

”About what?” Freddy asked

”Well, just then I was thinking about that Arado I cracked up,” Dave said ”I sure feel rotten about that I wish I could have brought it down all in one piece”

”Good grief, forget it!” Freddy gasped ”It onderful of you to get it down at all I would have killed us both, for fair I can tell you, now, that I was very scared when you took off I didn't know then hoell you could fly, but I do, now You're a little bit of all right, Dave I mean that, really!”

”You're swell to say that, anyway,” Dave grinned ”I'o and crack it up I don't knowWell, I guess a plane tolike what his horse is to a cow puncher

It'sit's al human”

”I knohat you mean, Dave”

”Do you, Freddy?” Dave echoed ”Well, that's the way it is And I'll tell you so, but you'll probably think I' when Iand wiped the undercarriage right off, and didn't get a scratch

But do you know? I felt so bad about it I busted right out bawling like a kid My instructor was scared stiff He thought so awful had happened to me But when I finally cut it out he ell about the whole thing He said it was the nor It made me feel better anyway Yeah, I sure feel pretty punk for busting up that Arado, even though it was a German crate”

Freddy started to speak but Dave didn't even hear the first word The car had bounced out of a field and was being swung onto a road when the landscape on all four sides suddenly blossoeysers of brilliant red fla columns of oily black smoke

Thunderous sound rushed at theht up into the air

”Shrapnel barrage!” the Sergeant screamed and slammed on the brakes