“We’re not exactly ladies,” said Gale when they had found their places and the flap was closed. “We’re soldiers, same as you are, in for the duration. My friend Isabelle here is the colonel’s yeoman, and—”
“What do you know about that!” one of the boys exclaimed. “Think of meeting the colonel’s yeoman!”
“Hey, Isabelle!” another boy exclaimed. “I don’t like this war. Not enough fun. I want to go home. Fix it up with the colonel, will you?” The boys all laughed.
The question required no answer, so Gale went on: “This nurse, Than Shwe, came over the mountains with the colonel on his retreat. Now she’s going back.”
“Leave it to us Than Whatever!” exclaimed a burly redhead. “We’ll cut a wide path for you all the way to China.”
“That’s fine,” the little Burmese girl chimed in. “And if you stub your toe or something, come to my hospital. I’ll fix you up.”
“Say! You’ve been up there ahead!” another boy exclaimed. “What sort of a place is it?”
“Swell,” said Isabelle. “It’s a forest of immense trees and it’s big enough to hide the whole army. But you won’t be there long, and neither will we. We travel with the colonel.”
“And boy! Does he ever travel fast!” exclaimed a boy with a Cumberland Mountain accent.
“While you’re in the Secret Forest I am to be your guardian angel,” said Gale.