Stan set down on an even glide. Garret slid in with a
grandstand flourish. Stan eased in close beside him, clambered out of
the cockpit and stepped across to Garret's Spitfire, giving it a
searching look. His lips were twisted with anger as he caught up with
Allison.

Allison gave him a wide grin. "Sweet going, Yank," he said softly.

"What got into your guns?" Stan asked in an effort to let his wrath
cool.

"Got a burst through the center section. Those Jerries are liberal with
their lead."

Stan saw that Allison was going to say nothing about Arch Garret's
cowardly trick in cloud-sneaking when his pals were in a tight spot. He
hitched along beside Allison, his parachute rapping him behind the
knees. Garret had paused to show off before the ground crews. They heard
him say, in a loud voice:

"I cut down on one Messer and then laid over just in time to take out
another one."

Stan looked at Allison. He was grinning at Brooks who was chewing on a
pencil and staring at him as if he had seen a ghost.

"Mead of Green Flight said seven Messers had you bottled, Allison," he
said.

"Mead needs his eyes fixed," Allison answered as he slid out of his
chute.

Squadron Leader Rainey came in. He had three rings of braid on his
sleeve and wished he had only two so that he could be out on flight duty
with the boys. In the last war Majors were flying men, but in this one
they were just ground officers. His grim face lighted in a thin smile
as he looked at Allison.

"Nice work, Red Flight," he said. "Like to have been up with you."

"We could have used you, sir," Allison said and laughed almost directly
into Garret's face.

Garret had strutted to the desk just inside the briefing room. He spoke
loudly, paying no attention to the Squadron Leader. He leaned on the
desk and fixed the briefing officer with a steady look.

"Chalk up a Stuka and two Messerschmitts for me. And add a note saying
it was lucky for two stiffs I was along."

Stan swung around facing Garret. The gall of the man made his anger
flare up and he forgot all about regulations. "Why lie about it," he
said, his lips a tight line. "You didn't fire a burst, you hid in a
cloud. Next time you better unlimber your guns while you're in the cloud
so you'll have an alibi."

Arch Garret's dark face twisted with rage. "So you play that way, lying
me out of credit."

"I checked your guns before I came in. You didn't fire a shot." Stan
turned upon Allison and t