k over the bridge.

"Don't ask me, sweetheart," Dawson grunted, and stared down at the black
waters swirling past the destroyer's hull. "Could be they're going to
take us out and drown the lot of us. How do I know?"

"Well, you could at least be helpful enough to make a sensible guess!"
Freddy snapped. "Confound you Yanks, anyway! I never saw such mysterious
business!"

"Listen to the guy!" Dawson hooted. "You forget I've been to England,
and served in the R.A.F. with you. For cat's sake, it usually takes a
ton of TNT to get an Englishman to open his mouth long enough to admit
that the sun is shining. Us Yanks mysterious? Pal, we're blabber-mouths
compared with your British Intelligence Service. And don't argue with
me, because I've had experience, I have!"

"Rot!" the English youth growled. "But never mind, anyway. The point is,
where are we going?"

Dawson said nothing. He just leaned a bit more over the chain railing,
and stared down at the water.

"Well, can't you make a guess?" Freddy insisted.

Dave started to shake his head, but on second thought checked himself.
He turned and peered at Freddy in the gloom.

"_I_ don't have to guess, Freddy," he said quietly.

Young Farmer stiffened, caught his breath in a gasp, and leaned close.

"What's that, Dave?" he breathed excitedly. "You know? You know where
we're going?"

"Yes, I know," Dawson murmured, as though it were the most natural thing
in the world for him to know. "Sure, I know, pal."

Freddy Farmer waited just two split seconds before he practically
exploded in a shower of small pieces.

"Then for goodness' sake, tell me, Dave!" he choked out. "Don't keep me
like this, blast you! _Where are we going?_"

"You want to know, huh?" Dave echoed, and bent his head close to Farmer.
"You want to know where we're going? Well, see where my hand is
pointing? Out there beyond the bow of this tub? Well, we're going out
there, sweetheart."

Freddy groaned, choked and spluttered, but before he could spit out a
single word, Dawson pushed back the cuff of his jacket to reveal his
wrist watch. The radium-treated dial showed that it was exactly five
minutes to midnight.

"So that makes us one all for the day, Freddy," he chuckled. "I told you
I'd get you to bite on something before the day was over. I warned you
to keep up on your toes. Okay, and not sore, huh?"

"Just plain disgusted, you blighter!" Freddy snarled. "Man! Why I put up
with you day after day,