watching him intently, saw the corners of his mouth
tighten, and a hard, steely look come into his eyes.

"And let's not try to kid ourselves either," he suddenly said in a low,
quiet voice that contained just a faint ring of steel against steel. "It
is going to be the hardest job any of you have yet tackled. And some of
you, only a few I hope to God, will not be coming back. We are playing
for surprise one hundred per cent, but we've got to remember that the
Japs have not thus far shown themselves to be stupid and dumb when it
comes to the question of pulling a fast one. For that reason, we've got
to be on the alert against any surprises they might pull out of the hat.
Frankly, nobody knows where this carrier force is right now, or where
it's headed. Not even our own Navy Department. This maneuver is strictly
hush-hush. And that's just as it should be, everything considered. We
have a tough job ahead, and there's no sense making it any tougher
through being careless and not on the alert. And now, just one more
thing. You can consider it an honor to be selected to take part in this
maneuver, but don't let it go any farther than that. I mean, there are
pilots, and air crews aboard this carrier, and the Hawk, who will not
take part in your work. That, however, doesn't mean they won't have a
job to do, and a mighty important one, too. So just don't get the idea
that you are something special--even if you are. See what I mean? All
right, then. Thanks for listening, and a million in luck. Very good,
sir. Your turn."

The colonel spoke the last to the carrier task force commander seated
beside him. The high ranking naval officer rose to his feet, spoke a few
words of greeting to the pilots, assured them that they were most
welcome aboard the ship, and expressed the hope that they would find
their stay aboard pleasant for themselves, and profitable for the cause
for which they were fighting. Then the Naval officer turned them over to
the executive flight officer. He in turn led them out into the deck
hangar, and with the aid of a few junior officers assigned the planes to
be used on the Jap hunt.

The plane given to Dawson and Farmer was a Wright "Cyclone" powered
Douglas "Dauntless." That suited them both right down to the ground. Or
rather, right down to the deck. It did because they both had flown that
type of carrier-based plane quite often. And in their combined opinion
it was the very latest thing in long range scout-