“You little Chinese rat,” the older man stormed. “You—” He broke off short. The gleam in Hop Sing’s eyes at that moment was a terrible thing to see.
Hop Sing’s burst of gunfire, following as it did the arrival of an unidentified airplane, brought a score of officers, soldiers, and mechanics rushing to the scene.
“What’s all this?” Captain Noble, the officer in charge of the field, demanded.
“Well, sir,” said Mary, forgetting to salute, “these men say they’re from China. They say they have orders to take the cargo from Sparky’s plane.”
“Let’s see your orders,” the Captain said, turning to the four men.
“Certainly, Captain.” The younger of the four drew a sheath of papers from his pocket. “Here they are, Captain.” He shot Mary an ugly look.
“Oh! Boy!” Mary thought. “If I’m wrong, I’ll be washed out of this man’s Army, just like that—”
“Hm!” said the Captain. “Papers seem all in order. Suppose you’d like a cup of coffee before you start back?”
“There’s not much time—we—” The younger man frowned.
“Time enough for a cup of coffee.” The Captain’s smile was disarming. “Are you guarding the plane?” he asked Mary.