le who had dinner in Washington with the
close friend of a Senator. And what do you think that Senator said had
been decided?"

Freddy Farmer hesitated, but couldn't stop himself.

"What did he say?" he asked.

"That the U.S. has made a deal with Japan about the Pacific!" Dave came
back instantly. "We're going to take half, and the Japs are going to
take half. We're--Hey! What's wrong, Freddy?"

The last was because the English youth had suddenly wrapped his arms
about his middle, and was swaying back and forth with an expression of
agonizing pain on his face. He suddenly stopped and gave a sad shake of
his head.

"You!" he groaned. "Good grief! Why did it have to be you, my very best
friend? And I swore by all that's holy that I'd do it, too!"

"Say, what is this?" Dawson demanded, and leaned forward. "What in
thunder are you raving about, anyway? Swore you'd do what?"

"Swore I'd shoot the very next blighter who pulled that old, old one
about the U.S. taking the top half of the Pacific, and the Japs the
bottom half!" Freddy groaned. "So be a good chap, and hand me your gun,
will you?"

"I'll hand you more than a gun!" Dave growled. "You bum! You had the
pants scared off me there for a moment. I--"

Dave cut off the rest short as Captain Banks, of the Army Air Transport
Command, and pilot of the Flying Fortress, came through the door from up
forward. He held a slip of paper in his hand, and he gave Dawson and
Farmer a quizzical look.

"Big shots I've got aboard, huh?" he said with a grin. "Maybe personal
friends of MacArthur?"

"Not that I know of, anyway, Skipper," Dave replied with a grin. "Why?
Is that thing in your hand news for us? If it's bad news, then we bailed
out about ten minutes ago."

"Good or bad, I wouldn't know," the Flying Fortress' commander said with
a shrug. "It's a radio from MacArthur's Headquarters. We're to land at
Broome. There you two are to grab a plane and hike straight over to H.Q.
in Sydney, and report."

"But I thought you were taking us to Darwin?" Freddy Farmer spoke up.

"We were, but orders are canceled," Banks replied. "The big boys seem to
want you two to get to H.Q. in a hurry. You wouldn't have any idea, I
suppose, huh? Us Air Transport slaves don't get very close to the
fighting very often. Kind of a lonely life, if you get what I mean?
Take this ferry hop, for example. We're armed, of course, and there are
Jap air bases within range to give us some action. But