"Quite! And definitely so!" Freddy Farmer echoed, and shifted nervously in his chair. "Maybe," Colonel Welsh grunted. "Maybe not. The point is, I think not. Certainly I've got some good men under my command. Mighty fine agents, as far as that goes. But you two have something that unfortunately they all lack. That's youth. Then there is another item, and it's probably the most important item of all: the matter of whether or not Axis agents _know who they are_. One of the inside stories of Pearl Harbor, that may come out some day, is that Jap agents and Fifth Columnists knew several of our Intelligence agents stationed in the Islands. That's no reflection on our agents. The Japs just knew who they were, that's all--and walked easy. "But your youth is important, too. Don't get sore, but looking at you two, no one would suspect you were connected with Intelligence. Frankly, you look like a couple of red-blooded kids who skipped away and joined up before your parents could stop you. Holy smoke! Just sitting here looking at you for the first time, it's mighty hard to realize that you two youngsters pulled off all those wonderful stunts on the other side. No, you can stop right there with that kind of an argument. You're _just_ the two I need for a job with the Pacific Fleet. I'm completely convinced, and satisfied." Dave gave a little laugh and shrug. "Then I guess that's that," he said. "We're all for it, if you really want us. What next? What exactly do you want us to do?" "I could say, the impossible, and I don't think I'd be very far wrong," Colonel Welsh said gravely. "However, I'm going to hope for the best--even believe in miracles, if I have to. And if there ever was a miracle pulled off, it was that little stunt of yours in Belgium just after the Dunkirk business."[2] [Footnote 2: _Dave Dawson With the R.A.F._] The Intelligence chief paused to nod for emphasis. Then he looked across the huge desk at Captain Lamb. "Fish out that X-Four-Six-B case photo, will you?" he said. "I think as a starter it would be good for Dawson and Farmer to have a good look at it." CHAPTER FOUR _Death In The Pacific_ The redheaded Captain nodded, and got up and walked over to the row of files. Dave watched him and got a big kick as the officer jabbed one of a row of buttons and then went back a step. There was a series of clicks, then the file drawer slid noiselessly open, and a folder inside popped up to Captain Lamb's outstretched hand. The instant he pulled it out there were more clicks and the door slid silently shut again. "Good grief, magic!" Freddy Farmer gasped. "Just as though there were a bloke inside waiting to hand it to him." "Just about that, yes," Colonel Welsh chuckled. "Now if we can only work out some way for the file folders simply to _tell_ us what they contain, then we'll have something. That would save a lot of time." "But what would you do with all the time you saved?" Freddy asked innocently.