stared
hard at the English youth. "Sure you feel all right, Freddy?"

"Never felt better," the other replied. "Wait just a moment, will you,
old thing? I'll be right back."

Before Dawson could ask questions, Freddy got up from his chair and
walked quickly across the dining room and down the broad flight of
carpeted steps to the lobby. Dawson blinked, then took a sip of water,
and glanced over at the man in gray. The mysterious stranger was looking
toward the lobby, and was in the act of pushing himself up out of his
chair. He seemed to change his mind, however. He shot a quick look over
Dawson's way, then settled back in his chair and went to work on a piece
of pie the waiter had placed in front of him.

"That bird sure is plenty interested in Freddy," Dawson muttered to
himself, and frowned. "I wonder what the heck's cooking around here,
anyway?"

He played with that thought for two or three minutes, but was unable to
get any place. And then as he happened to glance toward the dining-room
lobby entrance, he saw Freddy Farmer standing there and beckoning to him
urgently. Dawson raised questioning eyebrows, took a look toward the man
in gray, got up from his chair, and started to leave the table. He had
taken but two steps when the waiter appeared at his elbow.

"The check, Captain," the waiter said politely.

"Oh, yeah," Dawson murmured absently, and glanced at the total. He
pulled some money from his pocket and gave it to the waiter. "There you
are," he murmured again, and hurried over to the lobby entrance to the
dining room where Freddy was waiting.

The English-born air ace greeted him with a grin like a Cheshire cat.

"And let that be a lesson to you, my good fellow," Freddy said with an
emphatic nod of his head.

"Says which?" Dawson grunted, and gave him a blank look.

Freddy Farmer patted his stomach and licked his lips.

"A delicious meal, quite!" he breathed. "I hope you gave the waiter a
decent tip. But, knowing you, I doubt it."

Dawson started violently, and his jaw dropped.

"Well, you little I-don't-know-what!" he eventually exploded. "Stuck me
for the meal, didn't you? I knew darn well you must have had something
in mind when you gave your last two bucks to those soldiers. You play
the big-hearted big shot to them, and _I_ get stuck for your two bucks'
worth of food!"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Freddy Farmer chuckled. "Just say it's your
share in the lease-lend agreement between Ameri