tting the Mosquito cruise along. He leaned toward Arno.

"What about the general?"

"The Germans have him. He is a prisoner at Naples," Arno said in a
worried voice.

"We'll take care of that. We're taking Naples very soon," Stan assured
him.

"I'm afraid that may not help much. The Germans are in a fury over the
action we have taken. They will take revenge not only upon Father, but
upon the people of Naples and of every city they have occupied." Arno
looked straight ahead into the night.

"We'll figure out something," Stan said grimly.

O'Malley came forward and sat back of Stan. Stan called over his
shoulder.

"I am to deliver you fellows to Colonel Benson."

"Colonel Benson!" O'Malley yelped. "Sure an' that means we'll spend the
rest o' the war in the guardhouse!"

"That's the safest place for you," Stan retorted.

Allison called forward over the intercommunication phone that the
colonel sent his regards and that he had personally ordered O'Malley's
pies and steak for him. O'Malley listened in. He began to grin.

"Sure, an' mebby the old brass hat has some feelin's after all."

"Don't build up any false hopes," Stan warned.

"Did he send you after us?" O'Malley demanded.

"He did," Stan said.

O'Malley leaned back and licked his lips. He closed his eyes so as to be
better able to get a mental picture of the pies awaiting him.

Stan eased down a bit and called to Allison for a check on their
location and course. Everything looked fine and fair, but Stan knew that
it was at such times that trouble usually popped.

Messina was easily located as they came in at low altitude because the
Yank and British batteries on the island were shelling the German-held
port of Reggio across the two-mile strait. Flares were blossoming along
the mainland, dropped by Yank fliers. Allison got in touch with their
field and they came in. The air traffic was heavy and the field was a
beehive of activity. No special attention was given the De Havilland
except by the crew assigned to take her over. They came racing out to
make her fast.

The master mechanic grinned at Stan as he jumped down. "Good work, sir,"
he said eagerly. The Mosquito was his pet and he had worried about her
all the time she was away. After finding out where she was going he had
been sure she would never get back.

Stan smiled at him. "She's home without a scratch, and she's a great
ship, sergeant," he said.

The sergeant beamed happily. "She sure