ests. "Couldn't you show up in time?"

"It wouldn't count," says the Lieutenant. "You must have an observer all
the way."

"How about me subbin' in?" says I.

"You?" says he. "Why, you're on the other side."

"That's where you're mixed," says I. "I'm on the wrong side of Long
Island Sound, that's all."

"Why," says he, "weren't you sent out to----"

"No," I breaks in; "I'm no spotter. I'm on special detail from the
Ordnance Department. And a mighty punk detail at that, if you ask me.
The party who's sleuthin' for you, I expect, is the one I saw back at
the plant, moonin' around with a pair of field glasses strapped to him.
You ain't captured yet; not by me, anyway."

"Honest?" says he. "Why, then--then----"

"Uh-huh!" says I. "And if you can make it back to Mineola with a
perfectly good passenger in the extra seat you'll qualify for scout work
and most likely be over pluggin' Huns within a month or so. That won't
tickle you a bit more'n it will me to get to Long Island to-night,
for----"

Well, then I tells him about Vee, and everything.

"By George!" says he. "You're all right, Lieutenant--er----"

"Ah, between friends, Donald," says I, "it's Torchy."

At which we links arms chummy and goes marchin' close order down to the
farm-house to see how this Martin party was gettin' on. We finds him
rolled up in quilts on an old sofa that the folks had shoved up in front
of the stove--a slim, nervous-lookin' young gink with sandy hair and a
peaked nose.

"Well, how about you?" asks Allen.

Martin he only moans and reaches for a warm flat-iron that he'd been
holdin' against his stomach.

"Still dying, eh?" says Allen. "Why didn't you report sick this morning,
instead of letting them send you up with me?"

"I--I was all right then," whines Martin. "It--it must have been the
altitude got me. I--I'd never been that high before, you know."

"Bah!" says the Lieutenant. "Not over thirty-five hundred at any time.
How do you expect me to take you back--on the hundred-foot level? You'll
make a fine observer, you will!"

"I've had enough observing," says Martin. "I--I'm going to get
transferred to the mechanical department."

"Oh, are you?" says Allen. "Then you'll be just as satisfied to make the
trip back by rail."

Martin nods.

"And you won't be needing your helmet and things, eh?" goes on the
Lieutenant. "I'll take those along, then," and he winks at me.

All of a sudden, though, the sparkles fade out of