areless fools, all of you."

Stan grinned. He figured the officer was the dumb one. He had not even
asked Stan if there were any other men with him.

"I guess you're right, Captain," he said. "But if I'm to be shot I
should be made comfortable. How about some dry clothes? I may contract
pneumonia and die before you get to question me."

"I will deliver you to the colonel. What he does with you is no affair
of mine." The captain opened the door and called to his men outside.

Stan walked out and a squad of four men marched him to an open car. He
was shoved into the back seat and the guards climbed in, three with him
and one in front. Stan was grateful for the packed condition in the
rear seat, because chill air began to swirl back on him as they roared
away. He got a little warmth from the soldiers crowded in with him.

Day was breaking as they moved into a city. Stan figured it was Arnhem.
The car pulled up in front of a long stone building and Stan was hustled
inside. He was taken into a bare room and left there alone. There was
some heat in the room and he ceased shaking.

An hour passed and a tall soldier came into the room. He beckoned Stan
to follow him. They walked down a hall and entered another room. Here
Stan was served a bowl of potato soup. It was watery thin, but it was
hot. His jailer sat watching him as he ate. When he had finished, the
man nodded and got to his feet. Stan followed him down the hall again
and into a room furnished as an office. A fat German colonel sat at a
desk. His bloated cheeks puffed out and he burst into a hearty laugh
when he saw Stan. His fat stomach heaved as he laughed, and his
bristling mustache made Stan think of a walrus he once had seen in a
zoo.

Stan stood waiting. For the life of him he could see nothing so funny
about his personal appearance. He looked the colonel over with a
critical eye. The colonel ceased laughing and regarded Stan closely.

"Lieutenant Stan Wilson, Eighth Air Force, U.S.A.," he said softly. "But
for my purposes a spy, caught creeping up on one of our outposts dressed
as a German farmer."

Stan jumped in spite of himself. The colonel knew his name. That was
bad. He said nothing, knowing the colonel would explain more in detail.

"You American swine are such fools, so easy for the German mastermind to
handle. But you are the prize _dummer_ of all. We gave you a chance to
escape along with your friend Lieutenant O'Malley, and you had to get
ca