thing."

"Meaning?" Dawson grunted and frowned.

"Meaning that we're expected to do something in return for this hitch
hike hop from India to Australia," the English youth explained. "In
other words, we are expected, like everybody else aboard, to keep an
eye out for possible approaching enemy planes."

"Do tell, do tell!" Dawson murmured, and pushed himself up to a half
sitting position.

Turning his head slightly, he took a long look out the port nearest him.
Then presently he shook his head, relaxed and slumped back to his
original position.

"Nope," he grinned at Freddy. "No enemy planes approaching, sir. Now
what?"

Freddy made sounds in his throat and stabbed a finger at the bomb bay
doors.

"You could step down through there, and neglect to take your parachute
along!" he snapped. "You know something, Dave? I'm just a little worried
about you."

"Good!" Dawson chuckled, and bit off another hunk of chocolate.
"Worrying about me will keep you out of trouble, and that will be fine.
But, seriously, what's on your mind, my good fellow? You do have a mind,
don't you?"

"I have a _mind_ to toss you overboard, and not even mention it to the
others!" Freddy came right back. "But seriously speaking, too, I really
am worried about you. You've lost your pep and you're going stale.
And--"

"Hey, what gives?" Dawson cried, and sat up straight. "Just stick a Jap
Zero out there, sweetheart, and I'll show you who's going stale. Where
do you get that stuff, anyway?"

"Oh, I don't mean that," Freddy said with a faint gesture. "I imagine
you could shoot down a Zero--if the pilot would keep it still long
enough. No, I mean about your pep, your--well, your disinterest, Dave.
Once you used to be all keyed up about what was going to happen next.
But now...? Well, you just seem to slide along from day to day. Sort of
take things as they come."

"So?" Dawson mumbled, and munched on his chocolate.

"See what I mean?" Freddy cried angrily. "No interest at all in what's
going to happen next. Take this flight we're making right now. A couple
of weeks ago we were pulled out of China to India. And now we're on our
way to Australia. And, from there to where, or what? You haven't said a
word about that. Yet once you used to comb your brain for the answers.
Nowadays, though, you don't appear to give such things so much as a
thought. Are you getting war weary, Dave, or just naturally slipping."

Dawson didn't say anything for a