he officer continued to stare at him in puzzled bewilderment, and then
Freddy's voice from the next bed caused them both to look his way.

"I say, hello, Dave!" the English youth cried. "They said you were all
right, and then I guess I fell asleep again. Good grief, this is a
hospital, isn't it? By George, it all comes back to me now! That road
blowing up. But how in the world did we get here?"

The medical officer didn't bother to answer the question. He hurried
over to Freddy's bedside and took a good look at him. Freddy gave him a
puzzled frown, then his face suddenly lighted up.

"I say, I've seen you before, haven't I, sir?" he asked.

"This morning," the medical man nodded. "Then you're all ship shape,
too? But, listen, my lad, do you two still insist upon seeing General
Caldwell, Chief of British Staff?"

Asking the question was like turning a magic key in Freddy. The English
youth became very excited at once, and breathlessly explained everything
in more detail than had Dave.

"Yes sir," he finished up. "We have some valuable information, I'm
sure. If you could loan us a car, sir, and tell us where we can find the
General, we'll go at once."

"You two will go nowhere just now!" the officer said sternly. "Bless my
soul, after what you've been through? Certainly not! However, there may
be something to all this. I'll get the General on the wire and tell him
about you two. His headquarters are not far away. He'll send one of his
Staff, or perhaps come himself. This whole thing is almost fantastic!
You're sure you're not trying to pull my leg, fool me?"

"Word of honor, sir," Freddy said solemnly.

The medical officer scowled and hesitated a moment. Then he shrugged and
hurried out of the ward.

Dave looked at Freddy and grinned happily.

"Boy, am I glad to see you!" he exclaimed. "According to the Doc we
should be dead, by rights, or something. Instead, we just got our nerve
centers knocked haywire. Say, do you know how long we've been here? Did
he tell you when you woke up last time?"

"I guess he didn't have the chance," the English youth said with a wry
grin. "I started yelling for them to take us to the General, and they
thought I was completely off my topper. Stuck a needle in me and I
popped off like a kitten. We've been here last night or since this
morning, haven't we? And where the dickens are we, anyway?"

"Hold your hat, Freddy, here it comes," Dave said with a chuckle. "We've
been here eig