The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1942-12-23

be help, strained every sense
outward like sailors on a cold
and bitter watch. Not one man
doubted this was the night they
had been waiting for.
Gunnar had the glass. II was
four minutes after one by the
doctors watch when out on the
vast, unbroken black of the
horizon he saw a faint pinpoint
of light that started and was
gone.
He tensed and wanted to cry
out, but held back for fear it
was a star. A full minute passed,
and then another. And then it
came again, two short flashes
and the dark.
The others had not seen it.
One or two had even turned
away, when they heard him say
in a low, shaken voice, Give
me the book"
A Chill stabbed at old NAL
ken's chest. Osterholm wet his
salt lips nervously, but kept
staring straight ahead of him,
seward. Kjerlof pulled the
book out of his pocket and
opened it slowly, deliberately,
as If that was the way he had
always planned it.
1.-Two" Gunnar cried out,
g. seven :" and after a
long pause. g. eight"
The little farmer thumbed
awkwardly through the pages
and then in a dreadful voice, the
like of which they had never
heard, said, AL"
"One one two,"
Gunnar counted. e. one 4.
seven"
Clear Kjerlof said, and the
word choked out of him as if his
heart had stuck in his throat.
"All clear" they whispered to
each other, and could not be-
lieve 1t.
Suddenly Gunnar began
counting again, and they all
crowded forward. AS the num-
bers came, Kjerlof, kneeling
beside him, called out the words.
Can you read
our signal?"
Your watch, doctor, your
watch" said Gunnar. He stood
up, and taking the light in one
hand and the watch in the other.
flashed two dots straight west
ward over the water, precisely
80 seconds apart. Then he took
up the glasses again. The answer
came quickly.
What facilities have you for
landing equipment"
Gunnar signaled, 1.-TWO six
meter skiffs gasoline motors"
And he read, Ten tomorrow
night six men meet party four
miles due west bring someone
our agent will recognize do you
understand"
yes" Gunnar signaled, and
again 80 seconds later, Yes"
And that was all. The faint
light on the horizon went dark,
and once again they were alone.
A moment passed, and they
turned to look at each other, as
if this end and answer to their
hopes were still impossible and
not to be believed. But then all
at once the tension broke, and
they laughed and pounded each
other on the shoulders, remind
ing this one or that who had
said it would never come, and
Malken kept shaking his head
in perfect JOY and repeating,
Didn't I always say? Didn't /
always say?"
$50 if the agent is with them,
you 60 out in one of the boats,
DOCTOR" Gunnar said. and at
that word they all sobered
again, and Mortensen broke for
ward.
II thought the man, Ruck, was
in Sweden, and I, for one, vote
against the =. Herr Doktor." He
looked Stensgard up and down
with ill-concealed contempt.
mo trouble now Mortensen,"
Osterholm interrupted. IF
Gunnar says the doctor goes, he
goes"
II am still the mayor" Stems
gard told Mortensen defiantly.
II am not responsible for i. for
else" But that was
not what he had meant to say.
Will they take us aboard?"
Malken asked curiously. What
do you think, Gunnar?"
Time for that tomorrow"
Remember, only six of us
can CO." the fisherman said.
You Knut," nodding to Oster-
holm. And bring Oluf from
the farm. He has strong pair
of shoulders. And YOU" beck
oninc tn the butcher.