darn thing, sir!" Dawson replied truthfully. "I don't get it.
And I don't like it, either. Thanks, though, for coming after us."

Major Parker dismissed the last with a wave of his hand, and opened his
mouth as though to say something important. He seemed to change his mind
as he shot a quick glance at Tracey, because he gave a little shrug and
remarked, "Well, standing around here isn't helping anything. I'd better
get you two back so you can clean up. We've got some spare uniforms, and
it won't be hard to find your fit. Slugged, and not a thing missing,
huh? Well, that's a new one on me. Okay, let's get back--if you two
really aren't hurt badly?"

"Just a bump or two, sir," Dawson assured him. "Nothing to write home
about, at all."

"Quite," Freddy Farmer murmured. "Received worse than this in a crash or
two. We're quite all right, sir."

Major Parker paused, scowled, and shot them both a keen, searching look.
He said nothing, though; he just shrugged, turned around, and started
leading the way back along the path that skirted the sugar cane
plantation.

CHAPTER NINE

_Death Strikes_

Brows furrowed in deep thought, Major Parker slowly packed tobacco into
his pipe, put the stem between his teeth, and struck a match. As he
applied the flame to the bowl, he raised his eyes and watched Dave
Dawson and Freddy Farmer putting away their second meal as his guests.
This time, however, it was not in the Officers' Mess. The trio were in
the major's own quarters, and Dawson and Farmer looked none the worse
for their recent experience. Uniforms that fitted them perfectly had
been found, and it had been a matter of a couple of minutes to transfer
their insignia and incidentals from their torn and dirt-smeared
uniforms. As a matter of fact, anybody stepping inside the major's
quarters at the moment wouldn't have thought anything amiss. That is,
unless he noticed the fixed scowl on the major's face.

The major kept scowling until Dave and Freddy had fully satisfied their
craving stomachs. Then he poured coffee for the three of them and
offered cream and sugar. That done, he slipped a hand into his tunic
pocket, pulled out his copper disc and tossed it on the table.

"What else do I have to do to convince you two?" he asked quietly.

Dawson lowered his coffee cup and looked at the major in mild surprise.

"What's that, sir?" he asked.

Major Parker jabbed his pipe stem at the copper disc.

"That," he said, "is