About ten o’clock, Hoyt called the five men of C Flight into his hut. “To-morrow, something is going to happen, I’m afraid, and you’ve got to meet it without much experience. What I want you to understand is simply this: You’ve got Pat and you’ve got me. Follow us and do what we do. We won’t let you down so far as it is humanly possible. If the flight gets split up in a dog fight, then fight your way out two and two--and go back to the new ’drome two and two. Don’t go separately. Further”--he paused--“if anything happens to me”--Paterson looked up at him quickly and something tugged sharply at his heart; Hoyt went on quietly--“take your lead from Mr. Paterson. You’ll be Number 5, Darlington. You’ll climb up as deputy leader. And if anything happens to Pat, then it’s up to you to bring the rest home.” He smiled. “There is a bottle of Dewar’s in this drawer. Take a snifter now, if you want it, and one in the morning. It’s for C Flight only. Oh, yes, one more thing: The fact that we’re moving back to a new airdrome seems to indicate that staff thinks nothing can stop the Hun from breaking through. The fact that nothing can stop the Hun seems to indicate that, for the nonce, we are losing our part of the war. If the thought will help you--it’s yours without cost.” * * * * * The caller rapped sharply and threw back the door. Paterson leaped to his feet half asleep and pushed back the window curtains. The clouds were down to about four hundred feet, lowering in a gray mass over the mist on the airdrome. He went into the next cubicle and turned Hoyt out. Hoyt sat up on the cot edge and ran his hand across his forehead. “Stop the caller,” he said. “Let’s see what’s what before we turn everybody out.” They shrugged into their flying coats and groped down the passage to the major’s cubicle in the next hut block. “Let ’em sleep,” said the major. “Can’t do anything in this muck. Turn out one officer in each flight to watch for the break and to warn the rest. Send Harbord to me if you see him wandering about.” They woke up the skippers of A and B Flights and told them the news. Paterson took the watch for C. He turned up his coat collar and went out. It was cold and miserable in the open, and the chill crept into his bones. The smoke from his cigarette hung low about him in the still air.