be reporting to the carrier."

Forgetting Freddy Farmer for the moment, Dave concentrated on raising
the carrier on the radio, and made his report. His report was
acknowledged, and he was given orders to return to the surface vessel at
once. The orders had been short and sweet, and Dave broke off contact
with a faint frown.

"Now what, I wonder?" he grunted absently. "They didn't seem to be very
pleased about it. What did they expect, anyway?"

"Good grief, what did _you_ expect?" Freddy Farmer snapped at him. "A
citation for a medal while you're still in the air? Use your head, old
thing. The carrier task force commander is pleased right enough, I
fancy. But undoubtedly quite worried, too. He wants us back in a hurry
for questioning."

"Huh?" Dave echoed, and started searching the surrounding skies. "You
mean, because maybe there's some more of those big babies around?"

"Oh my hat!" the English youth groaned. "At times I swear you absolutely
have not a brain in your head, Dave. And this is one of them. Radio, my
little man. Radio!"

Dave turned in the seat and gave Freddy a nasty stare.

"All right, wise guy!" he growled. "Stop playing riddles, and out with
it. What do you mean, radio?"

"The Jap radio!" Freddy came right back at him fast. "The radio _on that
Kawanishi_ that you just shot down so expertly. Perhaps they sighted our
task force and radioed word to their base before you put the lot of them
out of commission. Now do you see?"

Dave stiffened in the seat, let out a yelp, and clapped one hand to his
forehead.

"Knock me for an outside loop, am I dumb!" he cried. "Am I thick, and
dumb, and stupid! Holy smokes, yes, Freddy! And I'm taking off my humble
hat to you. That's right, pal. If they did sight our carrier task force
and got word of it back to their base in time, then we certainly are off
to a terrible start, and how. Jeepers! I wonder just how far from home
that Kawanishi was?"

"We'll probably never know, but what does it matter?" the English youth
grunted. "The point is, _did_ they get word back about the Hawk and the
Carson, or didn't they? I bet Colonel Welsh and Admiral Jackson are
having a few very bad moments right now. That Kawanishi business could
turn everything upside down, you know. And worse luck, it probably
will."

Dawson just nodded, and let it go at that as he gave his attention to
getting back to the task force as quickly as he could. It was about
fifteen minutes before