utmost
importance and not to breathe a word to anyone. It was only when he
alighted from the plane in Rangoon that he fully realized that actually
no one had breathed a word to him about what exactly he was to do. His
orders merely stated that he was to get as close to the enemy as
possible and observe.

The major regarded him nastily. "What's that insignia you're wearing?
They look like question marks."

"Ah guess they do," Wims replied unhappily.

"Well are they?" the major inquired with a soft shout.

"Ah guess they are, suh."

"You guess!" The major now regarded him with open animosity. "And I
suppose you don't know what they stand for."

"Well, suh, Ah tried to find out but somehow Ah couldn't get a straight
ansuh."

"O.K., O.K., Lieutenant Cloak and Dagger, but if you don't want
questions why wear the things? If the Commies know you're a special and
catch you--"

"But Ah'm not no special nuthin'. Ah'm jus'--"

"Yeah, sure." The major poked a grimy finger at the paper before him and
grinned almost savagely. "It says here you're to operate with our most
forward units. That's just fine. I've got a patrol going out tonight.
They will take you close enough to sit in their ever-lovin' yellow
laps."

As Wims was leaving the major suddenly called after him. "Say,
lieutenant, since you're some kind of special agent you probably have an
'in' at the Pentagon. Will you pass the word that I need a looey
replacement? One that doesn't wear punctuation marks."

* * * * *

The patrol had not been out twenty minutes before it fearfully decided
it had better ditch this boy lieutenant who, with each step, sounded as
if he were setting off a room full of mousetraps. At a whispered signal
from the sergeant in command, the patrol slid noiselessly off the trail
and dropped to the ground as the groping Wims went clattering by in the
darkness. Within the hour Wims tripped over a Chinese patrol that lay
cowering in the ferns as it listened apprehensively to what it thought
was an approaching enemy battalion.

The next several days were confusing ones for Wims. With little food or
sleep he was hustled from place to place and endlessly questioned by
officers of increasing rank. He was passed up to the divisional level
where he was briefly interrogated by a Russian officer-advisor to the
Chinese headquarters. There seemed to be some disagreement between the
Russian and Chinese officers concerni