“Your father was a soldier, and a good one. I know him well,” he said quietly.
“Oh! Do you?” A warm glow of appreciation and deepening friendship flooded Gale’s being.
“In your new station,” the colonel went on, “save for Jan and two Chinese guards, you will be alone.”
“Mac?” she asked.
“He will not be there. Your post will be an exposed spot, but you shall be well hidden. We couldn’t risk anti-aircraft fire from that position. It would give us away.”
Gale felt a chill run up her spine. “Jan,” she thought, “two Chinese guards,—practically alone, no protecting guns.”
They came to a stop at the edge of the forest.
“From this spot you will always go on foot, and always before dawn, or after dark.” The colonel produced a small flashlight. They walked round the cliff, then began to climb. Their path was a stairway cut into the solid rock.
When Gale and Jan were completely out of breath, they made a turn to find themselves facing what appeared to be one more rocky wall, which it was, save for a low, narrow door.
Once they had passed through that door and closed it, the colonel snapped on a light, and they found themselves in a room some twelve feet square. The wall, even the ceiling of this room were of rock. A small window had been cut opposite the door. This, at that moment, was closed by a heavy shutter.