y
chance."

"Right-o," Allison agreed.

"So we may as well lay a few plans." The general seemed eager to get
into action.

"We could shoot our way out," Tony suggested.

"We would do better to use our heads," the general said firmly.

"We ought to be able to take over one of the gangs sent here to get
wine. The German officers will want to haul away all of this fine wine
they can possibly take with them," Stan said.

"Now we're beginning to get places," Allison agreed.

For the next hour they planned and talked. Tony explained the route they
would have to take to get to the field where O'Malley was to pick them
up. No one said anything about O'Malley's not being there at midnight.
Their big worry was to get to the field themselves.

It was well after dark, according to their watches, when things began to
happen. An officer and a squad of soldiers entered the cellar. The
officer barked commands at the men for a few minutes, then marched off.

The raiders crowded close to Allison to learn what had been ordered.
Allison whispered his report while the men a few feet away began rolling
barrels from the racks.

"They are taking the old wine. The new wine in these vats is to be
poured out. The barrels are to be smashed. They have a drum of gasoline
outside and will pour it into the cellar and set fire to it as they
leave." Allison paused. "They have a simple method worked out for
emptying these barrels. After the gasoline is set afire the men are to
toss a few grenades in here to smash the barrels and make certain the
cellar is destroyed."

"We better take over right now," Stan said. "Those birds have only side
arms. We'll slide out with our tommy-guns covering them. Each take a
barrel and when I whistle step out."

The German workmen were startled out of their wits a second or two later
when five armed men stepped out from behind barrels and covered them
with machine guns and a rifle. They stared at General Bolero, blinked
their eyes wildly, and then elevated their arms toward the ceiling.

"Tie them up," Stan ordered. "Take the door with Arno." He nodded to
Allison. "If any more men come, cover them and bring them back here."

Tony and the general and Stan got busy. It took a little time to bind
and gag eight men when the bonds and gags had to be ripped from their
clothing with trench knives. Before that was finished Allison and Arno
added two more noncom officers who had come in to hurry up the squad.

"I