if anybody _else_ was
following you around, that's all."

"That's _all_?" Dawson echoed. "Who else would be following us around?
And why, for cat's sake? Don't tell me, Colonel, that you really believe
some Axis agent might try to get in a bit of personal revenge just
because Freddy and I have been lucky on a couple of things! Why,
that's--"

"No, that wasn't the idea," the Chief of Intelligence interrupted
quietly. "Though I have had that fear more than once. Your being lucky a
couple of times, as you so wrongly call it, was most disheartening to
certain Japs and certain Nazis, who have long memories. But this recent
F.B.I. business was a bit different. I'm not going to give you details,
because I'm pledged to utmost secrecy. So don't waste breath asking
questions. This much, though, I can tell you. A list of names, compiled
by the War Department, was recently turned over to the F.B.I. Your names
were on that list, and you've been watched over by F.B.I. men ever
since. The reason, as I said, was to see if anybody was following you."

"You mean, sir--" Dawson frowned and hesitated. "You mean--because if
they were, it would indicate that the mysterious list of names wasn't as
secret as it was supposed to be? That it, sir?"

"That's it exactly, Dawson," the Colonel said. "Nice work to have
figured that out, too. That's right--that list is most secret. It has
the President's approval, the Secret Service's approval, as well as the
okay of the Army, Navy, and Air Forces. It is most secret, and it was
the F.B.I.'s job to make absolutely sure by maintaining a constant check
on every man on that list. Now does that satisfy you?"

"No, sir," Dawson said with a grin. Then with a shrug: "But you said
something about not wasting breath asking for details. However, I could
do with a hint, if that's in order."

"It isn't," the Colonel told him instantly. "For once it's my job to
assign you to a certain mission without the right to tell you a thing
about it. You'll learn soon enough, and when you do, you'll realize why
I have to keep my lips silent. This I can and will tell you, though.
It'll be a most pleasant mission, and you'll both get a tremendous
thrill out of it."

"Well, that's something, anyway," Dawson said. "I'm all for it, whatever
it is."

"Quite," Freddy Farmer echoed. Then, with an almost sly look at the
Colonel, he asked, "A mission in this country, sir?"

"A mission that will take in several countries, Far