The Wilmington morning star., 1940-12-04
F~ORTY-FOUR

The day passed slowly ana ~ a,
comfortably. Hunger was mere
annoying-they managed to stay
off the worst pangs with incl
slender rations of chocolate ail
biscuit. But it was a hot day, an,
the wind blew dust into their she'
ter, so that the thirst became
torture. They took turns on Wa.ci
at the doorway, the others lynn
down and resting, or talking oe0u1
torily. Gun took the opportunity o
telling Tommy Hazeldeane the 1ul
strength of the plot to bomb Lon
don and Berlin, and SO rig .i'
markets. AS he had expected, thl!
Infatuated Tommy, who a1terWare
snent his time squatting behlne
the sandbags, and 5niplng at the
enemy whenever he caught q
glimpse of a head or limb. lnls
did little damage, but it seemed &c
afford Tommy a sort OF gloomy
satisfaction.
Gun spent most of the afternoon
carefully examining the papers ne
had taken from Trent's office. He
had a long talk with Coral about
what she knew of the gang and Its
organization, and particularly OF
the private air station near
Cannes.
At the end of it all he heaved a
long sigh. ;.
Its damned hard lines, really
he commplained.. because, If We
could once get away from here,
and leave these devils stranded,
believe 1 could scoop the whole
bunch in, in about three days.
Don't you think there's a
chance of our getting away?'
Coral asked, a trifle p~laintively.
Gun shrugged.
"Just a chance. Like the mari
ners of old, our fate depends en-
tirely on the wind. If that changes
"Then?" Coral asked, eagerly.
you'll see-if it happens. If not,
no need to torture with the
thought of it."
"And-if it doesn't happen?"
Gun shrugged hopelessly.
ut may comfort you, in view of
what may happen, to know that
the dear Otto suggested that he
was not going to kill you-at once.
But he'd make you wish he had.
You know a fate worse than
DEATH" he laughed.
Coral smiled without mirth.
well, he'll be unlucky. 1 still
have that little pistol of yours"
mo need to worry" Gun put in
grimly. "You won't" He waved
his hand to the piled-up cases of
explosives behind them. "At the
last minute 1 propose to pull the
pin out of a Mills bomb and drop
it behind those. That ought to blow
at least half of them to where they
really belong-as we'll as robbing
them of their precious munitions
And us ?"
us? Oh, of course, we shall GO
too. It'll be a quick finish, that's
n thing"
so we're bound to win in the
end" said Coral, paling a little,
but family smiling.
This girls got courage!" was
Guns inward comment.
Time dragged on. Towards the
end of the afternoon the wind
dropped completely. This increased
the heat, and it increased the thirst
from which they we're all suffering,
but to Gun it brought a faint CLEAN
of hope. At shutdown the wind
would rise again-but from which
direction?
Curious to think how life and
death hung on the answer to that
question.
None of them complained aloud.
Tommy Hazeldeane S a by the
sandhags, glowering with slightly
%bloodshot eyes over the enemy
shelters. He held his rifle ready,
and occasionally licked his dry lips
with a dry tongue.
Coral Merridew sat at the left of
him, sheltered from the sun, and
gazed up at the blue sky, wonder
ing if this was to be her last night
of it.
Gun sat back in the corner and
thought with evaporation of how,
with a little daring, he could SCOOP
In the whole crowd of these coun.
Bella LANAN-COURT RI