s. It
dawned on him that they might wish to force down this new plane so as
to have a look at it. And he wasn't able to get a single swastika inside
his sight circle. Suddenly he heard a familiar voice calling:

"Heather Raid, come in. Objective successfully attacked. Heather Raid,
come in."

"Good idea," Stan agreed. He laid over and sliced into a mass of
Messerschmitts ahead of him, opening his throttle wide and cutting in
his booster. As he bored into the formation it opened to let him go
through. Only one ME failed to give way. It roared straight at him as
though bent upon ramming him. Stan's lips pulled into a tight line and
he reached for his gun button.

"Sorry, feller," he muttered. "But you don't ram me."

He pressed the button but no burst answered. He was out of ammunition.
With a yank he pulled the Hawk up, then twisted her over. The hair at
the back of his neck lifted as his understructure raked across the hatch
cover of the Jerry. Lead streamed below him as he flashed past.

Stan kicked off his booster and headed for home. The Messerschmitts gave
chase but they slipped away from them as easily as a swallow would
outdistance a plover. Behind him he heard his gunner laughing.

"What's up?" he called back.

"I touched up that Jerry who tried to ram us, sir," the sergeant
answered. "Potted his rudder and you should see him do stunts."

Stan had completely forgotten he carried a gunner. The man had been
silent all of the time. Now Stan knew he must have been giving an
account of himself.

"How did you make out?" he asked.

"Fine, sir. I believe I made several hits."

A short while later they circled above their home field and came in.
Lights blazed on the field for the first time since Stan had been flying
from it. Number 30 would be lighted up for an hour at least, in spite of
raiders. This was by way of celebrating their victory.

Stan climbed out of his plane. He saw Allison coming across the field.
They met and Stan could think of nothing to say. O'Malley hadn't come
in.

"Tough, O'Malley missing that big fight after the raid," he finally
said.

Allison looked at him. A slow smile came to his lips. He pointed out
across the field. Stan looked and saw a mass of twisted wreckage. What
certainly was the tail assembly of a Hendee Hawk was sticking out of the
twisted mass.

"He parked that mess there, then climbed out and walked into the
briefing room," Allison said. "We'll find him in there