utenants Wilson and O'Malley are wanted at once for questioning." He
glared about him.

Stan and O'Malley stepped forward.

"Come with me," the young lieutenant snapped.

"What? No squad with fixed bayonets?" Stan asked and grinned.

The lieutenant smiled. "Where we are going there will be no need for an
armed guard." He walked away with Stan and O'Malley beside him. O'Malley
kept a sharp eye open for a chance to escape. Stan was afraid if they
passed an open door O'Malley would bolt through it.

They entered a long hallway and were marched to its far end where they
entered a small room. There was a table and a few chairs.

"You may as well sit down," the lieutenant said.

"You almost talk United States," Stan observed.

"I should. I spent ten years in Pittsburgh," the lieutenant explained.

"How did you come to get over here in Germany?" Stan asked.

"During those years I was working for the greater Germany," the officer
answered stiffly. "Heil Hitler." He did an about-face as precisely as
though he had been on parade before Hitler and marched out of the room.

"Don't tell them anything," Stan said.

"Sure, an' the Gestapo has my life history written down anyway,"
O'Malley said. "I think we're in Berlin and I'd be after likin' it if I
could get loose."

"We'll be watched very close at first. We'll have to wait," Stan warned.

Two officers, a major and a colonel, accompanied by the young
lieutenant, entered. The ranking officers seated themselves at the
table; the lieutenant stood before Stan and O'Malley.

"You are a part of the Eighth Air Force?" he asked.

"Yes," Stan answered.

"Do you know how many fighters and bombers your force has?"

"No," Stan answered.

"How many of the new type of fighters do you have? The sort you were
flying when shot down."

"I've heard some of the boys say a couple of thousand," Stan answered.
He was merely reporting a bit of mess rumor he had heard the day before.

The lieutenant scowled and spoke in German to his superiors. After that
the questions came fast, but neither O'Malley nor Stan offered any
further comment. They answered simply yes or no or refused to answer at
all. Finally the senior officer got up in disgust and stamped out.

"You are fools," the lieutenant snapped.

"Would you talk if we caught you?" Stan asked pleasantly.

"Of course not, but we are a superior race. Now you will be given
comfortable quarters and food. We observe the rules of war