mb going off. A part of the sky overhead
turned into a great raging ball of red fire. It tore their eyes upward
in time to see a Heinkel bomber outlined in livid flame. Then it was
engulfed by that flame and came hurtling down to hit the water off-shore
and disappear as though by magic.

It was then, and then only they realized that not all of the planes
overhead were German. It was then they saw British Hurricanes, and
Spitfires, and Defiants slash down out of the dawn sky in groups of
three and pounce upon the German planes in a relentless, furious attack
that set them to shouting wildly at the top of their voices. The Royal
Air Force. The R.A.F., the saviors of Dunkirk! Outnumbered by the German
planes, but so far above them in fighting heart, in spirit, and in real
flying ability that there wasn't even any room left for comparison. A
British plane against five Germans, against ten, or against fifty! What
did it matter? There were gallant troops to be evacuated back home.
There were fleet after fleet of Goering's vultures with orders to shoot
down the British troops like cattle. Never! Never in all God's world as
long as there was an R.A.F. plane left, and an R.A.F. pilot alive to fly
it!

Suddenly Dave became conscious of a great pain in his right arm. He
looked down to see Freddy gripping it tightly with one hand and pounding
it with his other fist. The light of a mad man was in the English
youth's eyes. When he had Dave's attention he stopped pounding and
pointed to the left and beyond a short line of bomb blasted wharves.

"Look, look, Dave!" came his shrill scream faintly. "Look off that first
wharf. There's a motor boat. It was trying to get in close, but a
Messerschmitt came down and sprayed the chap at the wheel. See! He's
trying to get up. And there's the Messerschmitt again. Dave! The tide
will carry that boat up against those rocks, and smash in its bottom.
Dave! Can you swim? We've got to reach that boat before it hits the
rocks. Look! The Messerschmitt is shooting again. He's got the poor
chap. He's got him this time!"

As Freddy screamed in his ear Dave looked out at the boat. It was a
long slinky looking power boat, but it wasn't even slinking along, now.
The lone figure had fallen across the engine hood, and a diving
Messerschmitt was hammering more bullets into his body. And a running
tide was carrying the craft broadside toward some jagged rocks that
stuck up out of the water not two hundred yar