During the next couple of days André’s mind turned more and more toward St. Sauveur. If he could only go forward with Dobie and Weller and Slim, to be near when that town was liberated. Other French children were in the battle zone. And, after all, he had been under fire himself. St. Sauveur, Weller explained, was directly in the path of the Americans who were hammering through to the coast to keep the Germans from sending help to the fortress at Cherbourg. The 9th Division and their own 82nd Airborne were working together in this drive for the showdown. Weller came home from an errand to the beach on Tuesday, the 13th, whistling gaily, off key. “Good news?” André asked. Weller replied, “Tops. We wiped the Nazis out of that gap between Utah and Omaha beachheads. Now we can roll! And boy! You ought to see our new Utah airstrip. Planes goin’ to London out of there--like ferries--with the wounded.” Captain Dobie, talking to his colonel on the phone, hung up, looking cheerful. “The towns along the Merderet River seem to be pretty well mopped up,” he reported. “We hold the bridges. So the way to the Douve River’s clear now.” Later that day Weller made a fast trip to the new command post. He came back to report that a small stone farm building near a crossroads north of Pont l’Abbé had been found for Captain Dobie. “We got a pair of new lieutenants takin’ the places of a couple that got wounded,” Weller said. “Good fighters, these replacements, Schoenfargle an’ Ouvarski.” André grew more silent as the captain’s leaving day drew near. St. Sauveur was to André a pretty little town where his family were. As each day went by he felt more anxious about his mother. And finally he decided he must follow Dobie and look for her. On the last evening, Captain Dobie said, “I’m leaving Slim here for a few days, on orders, André. He’ll be in touch with me, so send us word if anything is wrong.” Weller echoed, “Yeah. You do that, kid, and you just tend to the cows, and mind what Father Duprey says.” André was up and the house astir before sunrise next morning. Maps, papers, and duffle were stacked waiting in the hallway when Slim appeared at the door and announced, “Jeep’s ready, Captain.” This was the bad moment for André. Dobie hobbled out to the jeep and Weller followed. Several of the neighbors, including Father Duprey and Victor, had come to say good-by. Patchou kept up a nervous barking, shocked by the departure of friends, until André put an arm around him. Over the noisy complaint of the jeep’s motor, Captain Dobie thanked all those gathered there for their help. And he asked that thanks be given to the Gagnons. “I’ll see you all again,” he smiled, clutching at his seat as the jeep leaped forward. And up to the overhanging chestnut trees rang cries of “_Vive l’Amérique!_” and “_Vive le Capitaine Dobay!_” The last André heard was Weller’s voice, bellowing, “Vive la Frenchmen!”