"Tanks massed there," Lance said slowly. "Yeh, I saw that, all right.
They must be intending an attack on that sector. But--but--Praed--"

"What happened?"

Lance told him of the scrap, how Praed's plane had apparently rubbed
wings with a Slav and then tumbled down, out of control. He concluded:
"I figured that Praed was all right, that he'd proved himself, that he
wasn't a spy, as we'd thought. _But the next moment I saw him in the
Slav plane that had bagged his!"_

His wondering eyes sought the colonel's lean face. Lance expected to
see it express amazement, incredulity. It didn't, though. He laughed!

* * * * *

While Lance gaped, the older man went to the delicate machinery of the
radiophone in one corner of the trim office. He clasped the earphones
over his head, and spoke into the mike: "Headquarters, Air Force,
Washington, Douglas, Base 5, speaking."

A tense moment passed while his radio call was put through. Presently
a green light flashed on the board. Douglas said swiftly:
"Headquarters? Base 5, Colonel Douglas. Tanks massed around Hill 333;
enemy evidently contemplates full attack on corresponding sector of
our line. They know a scout of ours observed it, however; perhaps that
will induce them to change their plans. This next is extremely
important: _The first step of the Torpedo Plan has been successful!"_

For awhile he listened intently, replying with short-clipped
affirmatives. Then he hung the headphones up and turned to the
bewildered Lance. Colonel Douglas laughed again and rubbed his hands
exultantly.

"What the hell--" Lance began. The other pulled out a drawer of his
desk and took from it a small placard.

"Do you recognize the photo?" he asked smilingly.

Lance looked at it. It was the picture of a man in the uniform of a
captain of the Air Force, a row of battle ribbons on his straight,
khaki-clad chest. But it was the figure's face that Lance stared at.

"Sure," he said finally. "It's a picture of Praed. But what--"

"Not Praed," corrected the colonel. "Not Praed. Captain Basil Hay."

PART III

"Good Lord!" Lance exclaimed without knowing he did so. Praed--Hay!
The same man! Then that was the secret; that explained things! Hay,
the hero of the force!

"You're entitled to a few explanations," Douglas said. "I'll give you
the core of the whole scheme. There's no need to tell you that it must
be guarded with your life." He drew his chair closer