the remark, he ignored it. He turned to Dawson
and held up one hand with the fingers stiff and extended upward. Then he
started counting them off with the forefinger of the other hand.

"_One_: Two F.B.I. chaps followed us all over New York," he said.
"_Two_: Colonel Welsh told us that a list of names compiled by the War
Department had been turned over to the F.B.I., and that it had the
approval of the President, the Secret Service, the Army, Navy, and Air
Forces. _Three_: The colonel refused to give us so much as a hint as to
what's behind this flight of ours. _Four_: He told us to guard those
sealed envelopes with our lives. _Five_: He said that one of his agents
was in secret command of every point where we were to stop. _Six_: The
route is the Air Transport route to North Africa. _Seven_: The colonel
said that the sealed envelopes contained the most important secret of
the war so far. And _eight_: He said that he would have another special
mission for us when we met in Natal."

"And _nine_?" Dawson queried when young Farmer stopped talking and
lapsed into brooding silence.

The English youth hesitated, chewed on his lower lip for a moment, and
then leaned over toward Dave and whispered, "_Nine_, is that all these
arrangements are being made because--because President Roosevelt and the
Yank High Command are being flown to North Africa, and perhaps beyond,
for a war conference with Prime Minister Churchill, Premier Joseph
Stalin, and their High Command Staffs. And there you have what _I_
think!"

Dawson whistled softly, sat up straight, and stared hard at his flying
mate and dearest friend.

"And _I_ think you are strictly nuts, Freddy!" he said. But scarcely had
he spoken the words when he frowned and gave a little twist of his
head. "Jeepers, I wonder!" he mumbled.

"Yes, no doubt I am quite nuts," Freddy agreed, and got up on his feet.
"Personally, I can't think up a better guess. It's started my brain
swimming, though. So what say we start on back, eh? Don't want to miss
evening mess, you know."

"What a guy! _What a guy!_" Dawson groaned, and stood up. "Here in one
breath he has perhaps figured out the biggest secret in the war so far,
and in the next breath he's sounding off about that stomach of his. Did
I mention a moment ago that I think you _are_ nuts? If I didn't, then
consider it said right now!"

"The difference between us, old thing!" Freddy Farmer explained with an
airy wave of his hand as he