Dave made no comment. He didn’t dare let himself speak. He was pretty sure that the mystery he and Freddy had been tracking down was no longer a mystery. There it was in plain view before his eyes. In spite of his efforts to control his jangled nerves, a shiver ran through him, and von Stutgardt’s mocking laugh made the blood pound in his temples.
“What a shame you cannot report all this to dear Colonel Welsh, Captain Dawson!” the German murmured with feigned sadness in his voice. “He would be so pleased! But as one of you just mentioned, that’s the way with war. Victory goes to the strongest side. And Germany is the mightiest nation on the face of this earth. And we shall own all of this earth in a very short time.”
“That’s taking in a lot of territory,” Dave said to him coldly. “I wouldn’t bet on it, if I were you. It might backfire in your face. Or maybe you haven’t caught on—yet?”
The anger and worry flashed in the German’s face again. He stared hard and long at Dawson. He seemed about to speak several times, but each time he clamped his lips shut, and said nothing.
“We will talk more of that, later,” he finally did speak out. “For the present you two can rest, and spend a little time with your thoughts, which I do not believe will be very pleasant. I have other things to do. The hour of my greatest triumph is close at hand, and I—”
The Nazi let his words trail off. He just shrugged to convey their meaning, whatever that might have been. He nodded his head and motioned with his Luger for Dave and Freddy to walk over toward the nearest of the huts built in under the trees. They were some twenty-five yards from it when a figure garbed in the uniform of a Luftwaffe lieutenant pilot came running out of one of the other huts and up to von Stutgardt.
“The contact plane radioes it must land at once, Herr Captain,” the man spoke in German. “He asks if it is now safe to approach the secret landing basin.”
“Perfectly safe, now!” von Stutgardt snapped back at him. “Tell him to come on in, and see that the men place camouflage over his seaplane the instant he has landed and has taxied up the inlet.”
Both Dave and Freddy understood the words spoken in the German tongue, but they only half listened. They were staring agate-eyed at the young Luftwaffe lieutenant.
“So a lot more is clear, now!” Dave grated impulsively.