ll be made comfortable until
arrangements can be made to send you home. Now!"

"What are the questions?" Freddy asked.

The stern look fled the German's face, and he smiled.

"Ah, that is better!" he said and spread the map on the desk. "Now, here
you have marked a line showing the route you traveled from Paris. Each
town you passed through is marked. Those towns are French troop and
equipment garrisons. This town here, close to the Belgian border, what
did you see there? French troops? British troops? And what was their
equipment? Tanks? Big ones, or small ones? Were there motorized
anti-aircraft batteries? Were...?"

The German suddenly stopped and looked up from the map.

"You are not listening?" he said softly.

Freddy's face seemed actually to grow thin as Dave looked at him. The
English boy licked his lips just once and then put his shoulders back a
little more.

"Certainly I'm listening," he said. "But I won't answer a single one of
your questions even though you do shoot me!"

Dave felt like throwing his arms about young Farmer and hugging him.
Here was the kind of cool, calm courage for which the British were
famous the world over. Instead, Dave turned his head and looked at the
German.

"We're not saying a thing!" he shouted. "I demand that we be permitted
to see the nearest American Consul!"

The German officer ignored Dave's outburst as though he had not spoken.
He looked steadily at Freddy for a moment and then sighed heavily and
raised both hands in a gesture of despair.

"Very well," he said. "That is all for now. I will give you until
tomorrow morning to think it over ... and change your mind. Guard!"

The side door popped open and in popped the guard. Colonel Stohl pointed
a finger.

"Take them back," he said, "and stand guard outside the door. If either
of them attempts to escape ... _shoot!_"

The Colonel gave them an angry stare and a curt nod, and then busied
himself with some papers on the desk. Two minutes later the boys were
back in their prison room. The door was closed and bolted, and they
could hear the boots of the guard pacing up and down the hallway
outside. Freddy sat down on a cot and started to shiver violently. Dave
went over to him instantly and put a friendly arm about his shoulders.

"Steady, Freddy!" he whispered. "We'll get out somehow. He was only
bluffing. He wouldn't dare shoot us. I'll make him let me see the
nearest American Consul. I'll ... I'll make him le