ng not so good
for us."

"I think so, too!" the English youth called back. "But let them try it,
blast them. Frankly, I'm blessed well fed up with being tagged around.
So let the blighters come. We'll fight them, if we have to. Jolly well
right, we'll fight them!"

The words that poured from Freddy Farmer's lips were better than a tonic
to Dawson. The cold fear left him at once, and instead he was filled
with a fierce determination. Right! Let those Zeros pile down and get
tough. He, too, was fed up with being pushed and shoved and tagged
around. Doggone it, it seemed years since he had let fly with any
bullets at the Japs. The last time had been as that Air Transport
Command plane was approaching the Australian coast from India. Heck,
yes! Since then they hadn't done a darn thing for their country. On the
contrary, they'd been shot up, shot down, and kicked around by the Japs.
So okay. If it was to be a scrap, then that would be fine, and nuts to
the odds against them!

With a silent savage nod for emphasis, Dawson twisted around and
squinted at the Jap Zeros for the umpty-umpth time. They were down
almost on a level with the MK-11, and while two of them remained in
wingtip to wingtip formation, the third Zero speeded up and came up
abreast of the MK-11. Dawson stared at it narrow-eyed, ready to
out-maneuver the Jap if he tried any smart stuff. And it was then he saw
the helmeted figure in the pit put his radio mike to his lips, and
motion with his free hand to Dawson to switch on his receiving set. For
a couple of split seconds the Yank air ace stared in amazement. Then he
snapped out of his trance and impulsively knocked up the switch of his
receiving set in the front pit, and pulled the earphones down over his
head.

For a brief instant or two he heard nothing but the hum of the set
warming up, and a little blast of static. And then he almost jumped out
of the pit with surprise as he clearly heard the voice of the huge Jap
who had been their "escort" back on the enemy carrier.

"Turn around and come with us, please!" came the astonishing demand.
"Turn around at once, and return with us, please, or we will shoot you
down into the water. I am warning you. You cannot escape. Turn around,
and come back with us at once, please!"

Dawson turned around, right enough. His head, and _not_ the plane. He
looked at Freddy, wide-eyed.

"Well, what do you know!" he cried. "And what a hope that guy has. You
heard him, Fr