CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Satan’s Signals
Exactly thirty-six hours had passed since the arrival of Dave Dawson and Freddy Farmer at the Air Corps Base at Colon in the Canal Zone. Thirty-six hours, during every minute of which they both yearned and longed for decisive action, or at least action of some kind. However, they had parts to play, and they played them for all they were worth. As two special pilots from Washington G.H.Q. they stepped right into the war activities of the Attack Squadron. They attended brush up classes, they took part in the many patrol conferences held in the field’s Ready-Room, and they went out and flew formation look-see patrols that carried them far out over the Caribbean, and to the north and south of the Canal Zone.
In short, they did everything to make it look as though they really were down there to learn, and report their knowledge later to Washington. But it was simply a part they were playing, and on the morning of their third day with the Attack Squadron they just couldn’t wait any longer. They were on the field, dressed for flying, and watching the routine dawn patrol take off, when Dave mentioned the thought that was ever constant and uppermost in their minds.
“We’ve got just one more card to play, Freddy,” he said in a low voice that didn’t carry beyond the ears for which it was meant. “I think we should play it. Take a chance, anyway, and try to find out if we’re right or wrong. I’ll go plain, raving nuts if we put it off any longer. What do you say?”
“I say, absolutely!” the English youth replied instantly. “One more day and I, too, will be fit for a padded cell, or something. What rotten luck! I mean, Marble being missing.”
“And how!” Dave grated softly, and stared up at the cloud-streaked Panama sky. “But pick up first prize. It’s yours, Freddy. You certainly called it right on Marble. We sure won’t learn a thing from him, because he isn’t here. But, gosh! I’m almost afraid to start out.”
“The southern Albuquerque Cays, you mean?” Freddy asked, and stared at him wide-eyed. “Why?”
Dave shrugged and gave a little shake of his head.