his fist in white
heat anger.

"You'll pay for this!" he shouted. "You'll pay for this if it takes the
Allies a thousand years. And I'll do my share in helping them too!"

As the last left his lips he suddenly saw an old woman, almost bowed
down by bundles, trying feebly to get away from the road and out from
under the roaring armada of diving death. She took a few faltering steps
and then stumbled to her knees. One withered hand was stretched out in
mute appeal to the others to help her up, but no one paused to give her
aid. Stark fear had them all in its grasp and none could be bothered
about the misfortunes of the other.

The old woman was only one in thousands and thousands, but Dave had
witnessed her sad plight and so his movements were instinctive. He
leaped forward and went dashing to her side. With one hand he grabbed
her bundles and the other hand he put under her arm.

"I'll help you, Madam," he said. "Just lean on me. I'll get you to a
safe place. Don't worry."

He had spoken in English and of course the old woman didn't understand
his words. She understood his actions, however, and there was deep
gratitude in the lined and tired face she turned toward him.

"_Merci, Monsieur, merci_," she whispered and started forward leaning
heavily on Dave's arm.

And then down out of the blue it came! Dave heard the eerie sound above
the general din but of course he didn't see the dropping bomb. He didn't
even taken the time to glance upward. He simply acted quickly. He
grabbed the old woman about the waist and hauled her to the scanty
protection of a standing wagon. There he pushed her down and bent over
her so that his body served as partial protection against what he knew
was coming.

It came! A terrific crash of sound that seemed to split the very earth
wide open. Every bone in Dave's body seemed to turn to jelly. The entire
universe became one huge ocean of flashing light and fire. The ground
rocked and trembled under his feet. Unseen hands seemed to grab hold of
him and lift him straight upward to hover motionless in a cloud of
licking tongues of colored flame. Then suddenly all became as dark as
the night, and as silent as a tomb, and he knew no more.

CHAPTER THREE

_Dave Meets Freddy Farmer_

When Dave again opened his eyes it was night. He was lying on his back
under some trees and staring up through bomb shattered branches at the
canopy of glittering and twinkling stars high overhead. For