d went streaking off to Wing, looking like he thought the war had
been won. And he took with him a nice little plum for Intelligence. We
found an order in that pilot's pocket that should have been left
behind."

"Indeed? What was it?" McGee asked.

"It was in German, of course," Mullins continued, "and Cowan is as
rotten in German as I am. But Siddons is a shark at it. Speaks half a
dozen languages, you know, and--"

"No, I didn't know," McGee answered, cryptically.

"Yeah, reads it like English. That order was to the effect that their
high command had received information that several air units were
located in this sector, and ours, in particular, was placed to a T. It
was an order for a bombing group to come over and give us an initiation.
'Highly important! Highly important!' Cowan said, and busted off for
Wing. To watch him you'd think he had brought down the plane. It's
strange, though, how those square-heads find out every move that is made
on this side of the line."

"They have a wonderful spy system," McGee said. "We learned that well
enough up on the English front, where we had reason to feel sure of the
loyalty of every soldier. But the leaks get through. Cowan was right,
the order was highly important. The Intelligence Department do some
clever work with the bits of information gathered from first one place
and another. It's somewhat like piecing an old-fashioned pattern quilt.
A piece here, a piece there, all seemingly unrelated but in the end
presenting a distinct pattern. Yes, it's important, I dare say."

Mullins sighed, heavily. "Well then, I suppose Cowan will come back here
with a chest on him like a Brigadier!"

Yancey laughed, picked up McGee's report and handed it to Mullins. "Read
that--especially the last paragraph. When Cowan reads that I can see his
chest droppin' like a toy balloon that meets up with a pin. I sure want
to be hangin' around when it is presented to him. This war has its
compensations. Boys, make yourselves comfortable and await the comin' of
the mighty. It's worth stayin' up all night to see."

CHAPTER V

Orders for the Front

1

McGee's victory had a most salutary effect upon the personnel of the
squadron. They lost sight of the fact that he had been highly favored by
luck in the encounter and that but for luck, coupled with skill, the
balance might well have been in the enemy's favor. They began to look
upon victory as a luscious fruit that would always be