As they crept from the shelter the girl’s eyes sought out her cart and its precious load.

“Never touched it!” was her joyous exclamation.

“Stick around and they’ll get your radar,” was the sergeant’s encouraging comment. “Some dirty spy has put a finger on this spot. That’s the third time they’ve been over here.”

“Spies?” Her eyes opened wide.

“Sure,” he grinned, “India is full of spies, particularly this city. These Indian people are always hating someone. Besides, there are a lot of Burmese people here, driven from their homes when Burma was lost. One reason the Japs won that fight was because the Burmese people let the British down.”

“Did they?” She was interested.

“Did they? Say! They erected road blockades everywhere. Wrecked trucks, blew up the bridges,—everything. But I’ll bet they wish we were back now. What the dirty Japs aren’t doing to them these days!

“And we’re going back!” The young sergeant’s voice dropped to a hoarse whisper. “Sooner than you think. It’s in the cards.”

“Oh! Take me along!” The girl’s excited whisper told of her eagerness.

“I’ll sure fix it that way if I can. You’re a real soldier, and you’re on the know.

“My name is Ted Mac Bride,” he went on. “Mac, for short. I’d be mighty glad to have you in our outfit, Gale.”

“Gale Janes,” she finished for him. “Thanks a lot, Mac. If you’ve got any drag with the colonel, pull a string or two and we’ll do the war together.”

“That’s what I will.” For a space of seconds his mind was on the girl, then his eyes roved over their surroundings. “Not much left but the hole where that bomber blew up.” He nodded toward the distant palm trees. “Want to go see?”

“No thanks. I’ll leave that to you.” She gave a little involuntary shudder. “It’s almost time for tea over at my club.” She grinned broadly. “I’ll find my coolie and trundle my cart away. Fine practice we had. Less said about it the better.”

“Good hunting and mum’s the word.” He put a finger to his lips. Then he was away.

An hour later no one would ever have guessed that Gale Janes had ever escaped from the boredom of being 

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