nk I hate anything so much
as I hate the U-boats."

"You're not alone in that pet hate," the major added. "The U-boat is the
one thing we've got to lick, and lick fast, if we hope to win this war.
Of course, we _are_ flying a lot of stuff across these days. But it
still takes ships to get oil, and gas, and the heavy stuff over where
it's needed. Hold everything! Where are my manners? You two could do
with a wash-up and something to eat right now, couldn't you?"

"Oh, quite, sir," Freddy Farmer said eagerly.

And for once Dawson had to agree with the perpetually hungry English
youth that a little food wouldn't be a bad idea at all. And so, after a
quick check of the Vultee to make sure that no stray bullets had damaged
anything seriously, they walked over to the Officers' Club with Major
Parker. The commanding officer introduced them to a couple of Air
Transport Command pilots and then took them into the mess, where a good
meal was waiting for them. Major Parker had a cup of coffee while they
ate, and conversation was at a dead end for a bit.

Finally, Dawson refused a second cup of coffee and sighed in
contentment.

"I guess I was rather starved, sir," he said to the major with a guilty
laugh. "Must be that Caribbean air."

"Or the excitement," the major remarked quietly. "A little excitement
always makes me hungry enough to eat a horse. You and Farmer are a
couple of lucky fellows, you know."

"How do you mean, sir?" Dawson questioned, and gave him a searching
look.

The other smiled faintly and appeared to be very interested in something
he could see out of the mess window. Then suddenly he turned his head
and fixed his calm blue eyes on them both.

"Tiger hasn't given _me_ anything to do for a couple of months," he
said, "except this job here and orders to keep my eyes and ears open
for sabotage, and all that sort of stuff. I think a little real action
would just about save my life."

Dawson tried hard to control the start that the unexpected words gave
him, but he didn't succeed very well.

"_Tiger_, Major?" he echoed, as a little note of caution sounded deep
within him.

Major Parker smiled, and a little bit of red seeped up into his leathery
face.

"I couldn't help but see the signature, Dawson," he said. "But you have
my word of honor that I didn't read it. Because I saw that it was
addressed to you two. Colonel Welsh taught me that secret code of his
just before he sent me down to this place. I