ic beat was the ship's powerful turbines driving it through
the water. He glanced out the round-shaped "window" and saw cloud-dotted
azure blue sky drifting by. Then he looked quickly back at Freddy, and
the English youth nodded gravely.

"That's right, Dave," he said quietly. "Welcome to the flagship of
Admiral Suicide Sasebo's force. And, good grief, Dave! It's a tremendous
force! Three carriers of the Kaga class, a dozen troop ships, and scads
and scads of cruisers, destroyers, and supply vessels. Even from the air
they appear to take up the whole blasted ocean. Very definitely, a big
force. But, as I was saying, it was an absolutely terrible ride. I think
I fainted once or twice, myself. Just couldn't seem to hang on somehow.
Then after years and years we sat down in the middle of this force and
came alongside this carrier flagship. They let down a hoist cable and
took us right up on board. I really was pretty hazy by then, and I don't
remember just what followed, exactly. But it wasn't much. Yet, no, it
was a whole lot, I guess you'd say. They took those cursed ropes off us
both, anyway. Then they carried you, and half dragged me, down to this
cabin, and kicked us inside. Ever since I've been trying to decide
whether to pray you wouldn't recover and thus get out of it all, or to
pray for you to recover, and carry on with me."

Dawson smiled and reached over a hand and pressed Freddy Farmer's knee.
It was then he saw the ugly-looking red welts that circled his wrists.
And also the circle of red welts about Freddy's wrists.

"Well, here I am anyway, kid," he said softly. "No rotten Jap rats can
break up this old combination, hey, fellow? But how long have we been
here?"

"About two hours, I fancy," Freddy said. "We got here about the middle
of the afternoon, so now it must be around five o'clock. I don't know
the time, exactly. They took my wrist watch, and yours, too. Souvenirs,
no doubt. I hope the things refuse to run for them, the dirty thieving
beggars. Gosh! How my hatred for them just grows and grows! I could--"

"Well, don't let it throw you, and blow your top, kid!" Dave cut in with
a soothing note. "Going haywire won't help a thing. And at least we've
got one thing to cling to."

"What?" the English youth grunted. "Each other?"

"Yes, that, too," Dave replied with a nod. "But that isn't what was in
my mind. I mean, we're both still alive. If they didn't _want_ us alive,
we certainly wouldn't be here