Stan and Niva moved slowly through the mass of bamboo, vines and tall grass which rose high above their heads. Stan kept to the course he had set and hoped grimly for the best. Niva did not complain, though the sharp-bladed grass slashed her clothing and thorns scratched her face and arms. They stumbled into bogs and had to make detours around thickets so tangled and dense Stan had all he could do to push through them.

Toward midnight Stan began to worry about his course. His faith in his own reckoning began to falter. But he said nothing to Niva about it. She had perfect confidence in him and showed no signs of panic.

At one o’clock they came out of the jungle into an avenue from which they could see the stars above. Stan bent and examined the ground. They had come to the road.

199 “We’ll need plenty of fever medicine when we get in,” he said grimly. “But from now on we’ll make better time.”

Niva nodded, attempting to wipe the muck and blood stains from her face. Her success was not very great and Stan laughed at her.

“I’d loan you my powder puff only I left it in the plane,” he said.

“You have a plane hidden in the jungle?” Niva asked eagerly.

“I do,” Stan replied. “Unless the Japs have found it.”

They moved along the road at a fast pace. With no vines or thorns to slow their progress they made good time. After an hour of tramping Stan halted to listen. They had missed the clearing with its native huts. Now they were not likely to meet anyone, except Jap patrols sent out along the road.

They went on as fast as Niva could walk. Stan halted several times to ask her if she wanted to rest, but she stoutly refused to stop.

“The quicker I get away from here, the better I’ll like it,” she insisted.

They tramped on steadily for hours. Now200 and then Stan stopped to let the girl rest. In spite of her courage, she was tiring. He was sure she was nearing the end of her strength.

Gray dawn was beginning to lift an arc of light into the sky as they broke out of the jungle at the place where Stan had entered the day before.

“We’ve made it. I’ll bet Von Ketch will be furious,” Stan said with a laugh.

“I feel sorry for the guards,” Niva said. “The common soldiers are not treated very well even when things go smoothly. Tonight has been a bad night for them.”

“Jap soldiers are the least of my worries,” Stan answered. “The plane is right around this grove of trees. If she’s there, I’ll clear the vines away and wheel her out.”

They located the little avenue where Stan had hidden the P–40. He almost bumped into its shining propeller before he saw it. Clearing away the vines required some work, but Niva helped and they soon had the ship free. They shoved it out into the open and Stan got busy.

“Stand guard out in the open and watch201 for any Jap patrols that may come out of the woods,” Stan ordered. “If you see anything come a-running.”

Niva went out into the open and Stan checked the ship. He waited a few minutes before winding her up. Ten minutes would be needed to get the engine hot. He wanted light for his take-off. When he thought he had the time right, he kicked the motor over and the P–40 started to rumble.

Niva looked toward the ship anxiously. Stan got down and motioned for her to come to him. When she came in from the field, he put her into the plane. She let him strap a parachute on her without saying a word.

“You grab this and pull if you have to jump out,” he instructed. “If you are high up you wait until you have fallen a long way. If your chute opens too soon a Jap will shoot you before you float down.” He was sure she would not be afraid to jump and that she would pull the rip cord.

“I pull this?” She placed her hand over the ring.

Stan nodded. “You do,” he said.

Light was beginning to reveal the meadow202 as Stan settled himself on his chute and leaned back against the shock pad. He slid the hatch cover forward and opened the throttle. The P–40 surged with power and strained at her brakes. He looked back at Niva, cupped his hands and shouted.

“We’re about to take off!” He pointed to the sky. “I have a hunch there’ll be a committee from the Mikado to see us off.”

Niva bobbed her head and smiled.

Stan kicked off the brakes and blasted the tail up with a surge of exhaust. The ship slid out into the meadow and roared away, bouncing and bumping along until Stan sent her knifing upward.

They lifted above the jungle in a surging roar of power to meet the rising sun. At ten thousand feet Stan gave his attention to a cloud bank lazily floating above him. He eased over and headed away from the cloud. If there were Japs lurking up above, they would be in that cloud.

They were zooming along with their backs to the rising sun when Stan spotted four ships high above him. They had slipped out of the clouds and were nosing down. Three203 of the planes were Kariganes, the other was a P–40. Stan banked and looked up. His eyes were hard and cold. Munson was heading a pack to intercept him. He kn............