me."

Colonel Kittle saluted and nodded. The Gestapo officer whirled and raced
away.

"We will go quickly," the general said to the boys, "before the suckling
pig receives more orders from his superiors." He bowed deeply to the
colonel and faced about.

"I have given our promise to go with him," Allison said. "It was the
only way to save your necks."

They marched away beside the general. Beyond the buildings they came to
a big car with an army driver. General Bolero himself opened the door,
and the boys seated themselves in the rear seat. The general climbed in
the front seat with his driver. He sat very stiffly but every once in a
while he sputtered like the fuse on a firecracker.

The car rolled up a shady road, past many guards, and on into a wide
highway. Stan turned to Allison.

"How did you work it?" he asked.

"I heard one of those Italian prisoners say he demanded to see General
Bolero. The officer told him Bolero was in Colonel Kittle's office. I
thought there might be a slim chance if I could get to the general, so I
pretended to be ready to turn traitor." Allison chuckled. "You should
have seen the general," he lowered his voice, "when I told him we were
to be shot as spies."

"He's a good egg, but for how long did you give our parole?" Stan asked.
He was worried because a military parole is something a soldier does not
break.

"Thirty days," Allison replied. "It was the best deal I could make."

"Thirty days!" Stan repeated. "Italy will be captured by that time and
we'll miss the show."

Allison grinned. "You know, I got the idea the general figured Italy
would be out of the war by then."

"'Tis the first time I iver promised to stay in jail," O'Malley said
sadly. "But after lookin' down the barrels o' them Nazi rifles, I'm not
kickin' on the bargain."

"Yes, we'd have missed all of the show if Allison hadn't outsmarted that
Gestapo officer," Stan agreed.

CHAPTER VII

REST CURE

General Bolero took his prisoners to a villa a few miles from Naples.
Here they had comfortable quarters and good food. They saw little of the
general, as he was busy attending to the fortification of the Salerno
and Naples water fronts. When they did see him, he always spoke with
little respect for his German allies. Stan and Allison liked the
general, but O'Malley did not warm up to him. The Irishman had never
liked high-ranking officers. To him they were always brass hats.

The days passed slowly.