“Wait!” McGee interposed himself between Mullins, Yancey, and the indignant Fouche. “If you boys want souvenirs, go out and get them for yourself. Mullins told Siddons to wait until he bagged his own game. That goes here, too. Take ’em back, Mullins. A man of courage has a right to his personal belongings–even after he is dead. Take them back and let them be buried with him. By the way,” he turned back to the desk and picked up his report, “I want a confirmation from Major Cowan. Where is he?”
102“Oh, I forgot to tell you,” Mullins replied. “He just jumped in a side car and went streaking off to Wing, looking like he thought the war had been won. And he took with him a nice little plum for Intelligence. We found an order in that pilot’s pocket that should have been left behind.”
“Indeed? What was it?” McGee asked.
“It was in German, of course,” Mullins continued, “and Cowan is as rotten in German as I am. But Siddons is a shark at it. Speaks half a dozen languages, you know, and–”
“No, I didn’t know,” McGee answered, cryptically.
“Yeah, reads it like English. That order was to the effect that their high command had received information that several air units were located in this sector, and ours, in particular, was placed to a T. It was an order for a bombing group to come over and give us an initiation. ‘Highly important! Highly important!’ Cowan said, and busted off for Wing. To watch him you’d think he had brought down the plane. It’s strange, though, how those square-heads find out every move that is made on this side of the line.”
“They have a wonderful spy system,” McGee said. “We learned that well enough up on the English front, where we had reason to feel sure of the loyalty of every soldier. But the leaks get through. 103Cowan was right, the order was highly important. The Intelligence Department do some clever work with the bits of information gathered from first one place and another. It’s somewhat like piecing an old-fashioned pattern quilt. A piece here, a piece there, all seemingly unrelated but in the end presenting a distinct pattern. Yes, it’s important, I dare say.”
Mullins sighed, heavily. “Well then, I suppose Cowan will come back here with a chest on him like a Brigadier!”
Yancey laughed, picked up McGee’s report and handed it to Mullins. “Read that–especially the last paragraph. When Cowan reads that I can see his chest droppin’ like a toy balloon that meets up with a pin. I sure want to be hangin’ around when it is presented to him. This war has its compensations. Boys, make yourselves comfortable and await the comin’ of the mighty. It’s worth stayin’ up all night to see.”