er One-Nines on a
reception committee," Allison droned back.

"The spalpeens! Why such a measly little bunch?" O'Malley demanded
indignantly.

Stan gave his attention to flying. The squadron droned into a thick bank
of clouds and was swallowed. Nine demons bored ahead to take a bombing
flight through.

"Rose Raid, take position. Rose Raid, take position," came a voice over
the air from the tactics group gathered around a big map at
headquarters.

Stan grinned. The British were odd in many ways. For no good reason,
they called this raid Rose Raid instead of B-7 or some other
businesslike tabulation. Then he sighted the bombers 1,000 feet below.
Three heavily loaded Bristols and three Blenheims. Stan remembered the
fast-flying Consolidateds and the B-19's of the United States Army.
Soon, if he was lucky enough to stay alive, he might be escorting
B-19's.

Up and up they went into the clouds, with the bombers droning steadily
southeast and the Spitfires cruising above and below and around.

The radios were all strangely silent now. There was no talk and Stan let
his ears fill with the pleasant roar of his Merlin. He bent forward and
stared at his instrument panel. That gauge couldn't be right, it must be
jammed or something. If the needle was reading right he had less than a
half tank of gas. He bent forward and rapped the panel. The needle did
not change, except to surge a bit further toward the empty side. Stan's
mouth drew into a grim line. He could believe that gauge and turn
tail--or he could figure it was wrong and go on.

If it was right, he was short of gas for the trip. A hard gleam shone in
his eyes. Regardless of the gauge, his tank should have been filled
full. If it hadn't been filled there was dirty work somewhere. He
thought of Garret. Allison had said Garret had been put on the ground.
Stan wondered what job Garret had been given.

Then he snorted. He was letting himself go. Just because he was sore at
Garret he was imagining things. He rapped the dial sharply and the
needle jumped, then settled back. If he went on he would run out of gas
over German territory and have to go down. In spite of himself, he
couldn't help muttering:

"That would be a nice way of getting rid of me."

He shrugged his shoulders. Allison was dipping his wings in a signal.
They were going down to have a look below. He couldn't use his flap
mike. If he cut and ran he would have to prove he hadn't drained his
tank to get