"And that'll be all right, too," the C.O. said grimly. Then, suddenly turning to Dawson, he asked, "What about your plane?" "No good, sir," Dave replied. "Both engines have a lot of bugs, and the rest is not much better." "That's what I was afraid of," the C.O. said with a frown. "I had a hunch that both were junk ships. Well, we'll send both of them back. And you and Farmer can go down to Replacement Depot at Kingston, and each get yourself a new plane." "Kingston, sir?" Freddy Farmer echoed excitedly. "You mean down beyond London, sir?" The C.O. looked at him, grinned, and nodded. "That's right, Farmer," he said. "You'll pass through London on the way down there. And if you'd like to stop off for say twenty-four hours, that will be all right with me. Things are a bit quiet, and I expect you both could do with a look at London." "_Could_ we!" Freddy Farmer exclaimed, and grinned happily at Dawson. Dave sighed and shrugged. "Okay," he said. "But look, I know the whole history of your wonderful little village by heart. You've talked of it enough. So just take your look, and save the comments, huh?" "Such tastes some people have!" Freddy growled, but his eyes were still dancing. CHAPTER TWO _Blitz Scars_ His face all alight with the joy and happiness of a little boy seeing his first Christmas tree, Freddy Farmer took in every detail of the Savoy Hotel dining room. Every now and then he took a mouthful of the food the waiter had set in front of him, but mostly he let his eyes roam all over the huge room. He grinned at everyone who happened to look his way, whether he was a general or a civilian office clerk. In short, Freddy Farmer's heart was bubbling over, and he didn't care who knew it. "Well, have you finally decided?" Dave Dawson presently asked him. "Or are you simply giving your neck muscles a workout?" "Eh, what's that?" the English youth echoed, turning his head to look at him. "Have I finally decided what?" Dawson waved a hand at the room at large. "If you've ever been in this place before," he said. "Because you have, in case you've forgotten, or can't make up your mind. Remember? And I've got a hunch that we were sitting right at this same table, too. Remember?" Young Farmer frowned, and took a moment out to collect his thoughts. Then suddenly his face lighted up. "Why, yes, of course!" he exclaimed. "The night we met Soo Wong Kai, the Chinese Minister of War. That meeting certainly resulted in something, didn't it!"[1] [Footnote 1: Dave Dawson With the Flying Tigers.] "Yeah, and how!" Dawson murmured. Then a shadow seemed to pass across his sun- and wind-bronzed face as he added, "Right now I'd like to be feeling as contented with things as I felt that night." Freddy Farmer stopped a piece of muffin halfway to his mouth and looked at his flying mate and dearest pal in marked astonishment.