swered. "It's tough, but we have to do it."

"I know," Tony agreed. "If the boys catch even half the staff there,
I'll be satisfied."

"Now head west again, very low," Arno ordered.

O'Malley swept lower over the darkening terrain. Stan began to wonder
how Arno was going to spot any landmarks. Hopping out into the night
would not be so nice. There were lakes and woods and rocky ridges all
over the country.

"Into the valley a point left," Arno called. "Fly low and line up on two
peaks with square tops which should be against the sky."

O'Malley and Stan peered ahead as the Mosquito dropped into a wide
valley.

"There's yer peaks," O'Malley said. Stan spotted the markers as his pal
spoke. Two peaks with square tops loomed against the sky ahead.

"Regular gunsights," Stan said.

"Get everything ready to jump," Arno called.

Stan slapped O'Malley on the shoulder. "Be seein' you soon," he said as
he slid back to help with the guns and other things they were taking
along.

He found the boys getting set. Tony was loaded and ready to jump. Arno
was spotting his markers.

"Go!" he called.

Tony unloaded through the open hatch and disappeared into the blue
blackness, followed closely by Allison. Arno nodded to Stan and Stan
piled out. As he went down into the cool night he slid his hand to the
rip cord. They were jumping from low altitude and there was no time for
free falling. He pulled the cord and felt his chute open and snap him
into suspension. A shadowy form above him and very close told him that
Arno had wasted no time in following him out of the ship.

Stan adjusted his pack and his tommy-gun for a landing. Peering down, he
saw the field they were to land on. At first he thought Arno had missed
and dropped them over a lake. He could dimly see what looked like
rippling waves. Then his feet touched waving grain and he eased up on
the cords to make his landing. A split second later he was down in a
field of tall and ripening grain. Wadding his chute up he drew in a deep
breath. The field reminded him of Kansas with its rich, ripe smells.

A low whistle off to his right indicated one of the boys was asking for
a location. Stan gave a bird call and listened. He got three answers and
heard his pals working their way toward him. Twice more he gave the
assembly signal. Then he noticed that the sky above and over toward the
twin peaks was lighting up with streaks and points of light. Tracers
were arcing up and o