turn
back and be sure Sim was downstream.

He was moving along, crawling slowly, when he felt the bank under him
begin to sag and slip. With a swift effort he tried to pull himself away
from the canal. The cave-in took a big slice of earth with it. Stan's
grasping hands found only torn roots and wet mud. He went over the edge
and into the canal along with a half ton of earth. He and the dirt hit
the water with a terrific splash.

Instantly a floodlight snapped on and swung around to sweep the canal.
Stan went down in a mass of mud and water. He came up pawing and
struggling. Men began shouting on the shore. Stan ducked under the icy
water and plunged toward the bank. He came up against the grassy bank
and shook the water out of his eyes. Both banks were swarming with
soldiers.

Stan thought fast. He wanted the others to escape. They had to get away.
He was getting set for another dive when the searchlight found him and
pinned him to the bank like a trapped animal. Guards with machine guns
covered him threateningly. He didn't have a chance. An officer was
shouting at him in German.

"Hold your fire, I'll get out," Stan shouted. He wanted to hold the
attention of the men until his friends got away.

"A Britisher," the officer shouted. "Get out on the bank!" His English
was a bit thick but understandable.

Stan climbed out and was surrounded by armed men in an instant. He was
marched up the bank and halted under the floodlight. The officer stood
glaring at him.

"Where do you come from?" he demanded.

"I came out of that canal, and it was a bit chilly," Stan answered. "I'd
appreciate some dry clothing."

"American!" the officer exclaimed. "A spy dressed in the clothes of a
farmer."

"I just borrowed these. I'm not a spy. You can check up on that." Then
Stan clamped his lips shut. If he revealed his identity now, the Germans
would know where to look for O'Malley and Sim.

"A spy, no less," the officer snapped. "Come with me."

"Gladly," Stan said.

He was taken to a small shack a few yards back from the canal. There was
a stove in the shack and Stan edged close to it. The officer stepped to
a wall phone and put through, a call. He talked quite a while and
finally began to laugh loudly. After he hung up he turned to Stan.

"The colonel agrees you are a spy and a very dumb one. You will be sent
to him and he will have you shot at once. It is easy to see why you
Americans cannot fight the Germans. You are c