ay, kid. I can hear you now. Over
here, Freddy! Gosh, oh gosh! Am I glad to--"

He never finished the sentence because at that moment a darker shadow
than the night suddenly materialized at his side, and in the next
instant the two air aces were hugging and thumping each other and
mumbling a lot of things that neither of them heard, much less paid
attention to. Finally, though, they ceased the greeting act and calmed
down.

"Man, Dave!" Freddy Farmer panted. "I thought I'd never reach you. A
thousand times I swore I was lost and heading in the wrong direction.
Phew! What absolutely unbelievable luck! I'll never forget this as long
as I live. Not ever, I swear it!"

"You and me both, Freddy!" Dave echoed the statement. "But look! You
were trailing those bombers? And it was you who nailed that
Messerschmitt right after I started down in a heap, and--But wait! Tell
me this, first. Your radio was okay, wasn't it? And you notified
Casablanca base, didn't you?"

The air came out between young Farmer's lips in a whistling gasp, and he
grabbed hold of Dawson's arm.

"Dave!" he choked out. "Dave! You mean _you_ didn't let them know?"

Dawson was unable to answer for a moment. His whole body seemed to turn
into a solid chunk of ice so that he could hardly breathe. It required a
tremendous effort to get the words off his lips.

"No, Freddy," he said. "Just as I started to tune in Casablanca, that
Messerschmitt bunch gave me the works and shot my set into splinters.
Then--then your radio _was_ out? I tried to raise you several times, but
couldn't."

"The blasted thing went haywire after I'd been in the air only fifteen
minutes," the English youth replied. "I had half a mind to turn back to
Casablanca, but I didn't dare for fear the Junkers might be down my way.
They were. I sighted them coming in over Magador. They were hugging the
clouds. I gave them a few miles and then tagged along. I tried to raise
you, but I didn't get any answer, so I just carried on. About an hour
later I spotted you trailing a Messerschmitt. I tried to rise you again,
but still no answer. Then when we got close to here I saw those three
Messerschmitts drop down on you. I was above the lot of you, so I saw
everything. Man! I thought I'd die when you did nothing, and just let
them come down!"

"Dumb ape that I am," Dawson said bitterly, "I was so interested in
watching the Junkers that I didn't think to keep an eye on my tail. I
heard your call on