starts to open
the door you ask me, What's a home run? See? That'll give me time to get
away from this window. Okay, got it?"

"Yes, I understand," Freddy said and nodded eagerly. "Gee, you're a
great friend, Dave!"

"You too, Freddy," Dave said and gave him a push. "Now, get over there
and start asking questions. Thank goodness this window is dirty and
nobody can see me from outside."

The instant Freddy went over near the door Dave gave his attention to
the first screw. The English youth asked question after question and
Dave answered them without half thinking. Every second of the time he
worked feverishly with the spoon on the screws. There were eight of them
and he guessed it was well over an hour before he had seven of them out
and the eighth well loosened. That one he let stay partly in so that the
window would remain in place. The last thing he did was to cover the
screw holes with bits of cobweb so they wouldn't be noticed. Then he
walked over to the cot and sat down.

"Okay, that's enough baseball talk!" he said in a loud voice and winked
at Freddy. "Gee, how you can ask questions. Well, it looks like we're
not going to get anything to eat. So I'm going to try and get some
sleep."

Stretching out on the cot Dave pointed at the window and grinned. Then
clasping his hands together he put them over his head and shook them
like a prize fighter being introduced to the fight fans. Freddy looked
puzzled for a moment, then realized what Dave meant, and went through
the hand-shaking motions himself.

"Well, I guess I might as well try to get a little sleep, myself," he
said loudly and walked to the other cot.

A moment later the two boys listened to the sound of the guard's
footsteps outside and looked at the gradually fading light of day
outside the dust and cobweb smeared window.

CHAPTER EIGHT

_Escape!_

Somewhere in the distance a church clock tolled the hour of ten. Dave
absently counted the strokes, and then slowly sat up on the army cot.
All was pitch dark inside as well as outside. For a couple of minutes he
sat perfectly still listening to the various sounds that came to him
faintly. He heard the guard outside in the hallway cough and then strike
a match. He heard the muffled sounds of hobnailed boots marching along
in the street outside, and the clanking sound of tank and scout car
tractor treads on the stones. Somewhere in the distance a whistle was
blown. He heard the occasional dull