They sat down and tried to think up another scheme. At midnight the guard was changed and they tried their trick on the new man. He was less interested than the first one. He turned his back on them and let them whisper. The boys gave it up and sat down to wait.
They dozed off after a time. O'Malley stretched out on the floor and went to sleep. Stan and Allison remained on the bench, leaning back against the wall. The clatter of trucks and shouting of soldiers wakened them. Daylight was breaking and the camp seemed to be getting set for some sort of action. Presently the young officer appeared. He glared at the three Yanks.
"Are you ready to talk?" he demanded.
"No," Stan answered. The others shook their heads.
"In that case I will waste no time. You will be shot within the hour." He turned to the Italian prisoners and spoke in German to one of them. His words were harsh and his attitude showed he had no respect for the men.
One of the prisoners answered in German. His words were angry and he was defiant. Suddenly Allison stepped forward.
"I say, old man," he addressed the officer. "I've changed my mind. There is some information I could give the colonel."
"Come along then," the officer snapped. He shot a few words at the Italians as he motioned for the guard to open the door.
Stan grabbed Allison's arm. "You can't do it, fellow," he said.
Allison turned on him. "You may want to die and become a hero, but I'd rather be a live war prisoner. I say, get your hands off me."