cer smoke cut across in front of
the nose of his plane. The yammer of the gun snapped him into action and
sent his eyes darting to the cowled nose of the Arado. His heart seemed
to cry out when he saw that the plane carried no guns. On impulse he
twisted his head around to Freddy's pit, but there, too, disappointment
mocked him. The plane was not armed! It was probably just a courier
plane used far behind the lines on safe missions only.

As he looked into Freddy's eyes he saw reflected there his own bitter
thoughts. They were completely at the mercy of that Messerschmitt flying
along wing to wing with them. Unskilled and untrained though they were
in aerial combat, it was heartrending not to be able to put up some kind
of a battle for their lives.

"It was a good try, Dave!" he heard Freddy call out. "But I guess it's
no use, now. The beggars have us on the spike for fair. There's nothing
we can do but go down and land, as they want us to."

As though the German in the other plane had actually heard the English
youth's words, a second warning burst of shots rattled out to streak
across in front of the Arado's nose. Unconsciously Dave nodded his head,
and reached out his hand to haul back the throttle. His hand froze in
mid air, instead. At that moment he had glanced down at the ground below
and ahead. What he saw made fierce, frenzied determination explode in
his heart!

They were almost directly over the Albert Canal. He could clearly see
the Belgian troops digging in on the south side, wheeling guns into
position, and throwing out rear guard action units. Not a mile, not even
a half mile from safety. It was too much for Dave. The fighting American
spirit of Lexington and Concord flamed up in his chest. He wouldn't do
it! He wouldn't give in without a try. He'd fool those Germans in the
Messerschmitt One-Ten even if it was the last thing he ever did. Let
them try to shoot him down. Just let them try! There were German planes
all around, now. And that fact alone was to his advantage. The
Messerschmitt gunner would have to take care not to hit one of his own.

"Dave! He means it this time! We've got to turn back!"

He heard Freddy's voice as though it came from a thousand miles away.
But he didn't pay the slightest bit of attention. Didn't so much as
shake his head. His whole body was cold and numb with fear of what he
was about to attempt. But in his brain there was but one thought; one
great overwhelming determi