/* -*** liuSs6 WILLIAM STARRET a CHAPTER IX Laura Blake, army nurse, after active service in New Guinea, is i assigned to active duty in North !• Africa in an ambulance plane, t One day she meets her fiance, Lt. jf Jerry Donaldson, who has uskedto pt. be transferred from the South L Paciric to North Africa in the hope of meeting Laura there. Jerry volunteers to fly an ambulance plane on a dangerous mission m v enemy-held territory, and tells the major who had asked for volun teers that he also has a volunteer nurse—Laura Blake. Laurt accepts the assignment. They take off on their mission. Through skillful navigation and some luck—Jerry takes his plane through cloud cloud-banked mountain passes! and lands it on a pasture in a mountain valley — the right spot! French guerillas welcome them 1 hey set up an operating room in a big tent under the trees with Or. Overton in charge. “For how long a time must you have this tire?’’ he asked. “For the time when 1. am oper ating,’’ Dr. Overton replied. "I n til 1 see the wounded men, 1 can not tell how many operations will be necessary. 1 will do them at, once—one after the other—just as quickly as everything is ready. “We shall build the lire,” the leader said. “Today there are low hanging clouds. It will be unseen by any Booh airplane today. On another day, when it might clear —well, we shall see.” We may not need it on another day,” the doctor said. “And now Nurse Blake, w ill" you pome with me? I will look at the wounded The giant Frenchman then led Doctor Overton and Laura into the cave. Several hours later, after Doc tor Overton had completed his op erations and the camp had some what quieted down, Jerry sat leaning, against the rocks neai the cave entrance. He munched hard brown bread and huge hunks of cheese which the Frenchmen had distributed: he did nut feel hungry, but he ate because ho felt that he should. He was tired, and he shivered slightly as a cold evening breeze swept up and around the crest of the hill. He wondered how Lacra was standing all this. In the last few hours Jerry had pained a new admiration for her Working steadily without a mo ment’s rest, she had aided Doctor Overton in the operating- tent under the glare of the gasoline lantern The amputation of .Major Compton’s leg, dressing of wounds prebirig for shell fragments, giv ing blood plasma—one ticarmen’ and one operat’on had rollout <1 Throug-h it all, Laura had re maineti cam ell’ic en‘ , anticip- ; ing Doctor Overt m every m t without getting in nv way s'ill she nevei foig> i i. •say just the right vom wounded men. Doctor Overtoil appe the cave. “How are they, Doctor,’’ Laura asked. “All right,” he said, hut his voice did not sound so confident. Can’t tell a thing about Major Compton yet, of course. And 1 keep wondering if I shouldn’t have amputated that Britisher's "Lieutenant Smyth*;”" Laura asked. "But maybe it can be "I. doubt it,” Doct >r Overton toid her. accepting some bread and cheese from the French lead er, who came up to him.“Thanks. "When can we leave. Doctor?' Jerry asked. "In the morning?” “Oh. no!” Doctor Over'or. sail e.njhatically. “Not a chance. Why Ma;or Compton can’t he niuveu fur several days. It wout t i>e ab solutely fatal!” smile to “Several days!” Jerry exclaim ed. ‘‘We can't wait that long." “We must wait that long,” Dr. Overton said. “After all., what did we come here for? To save these men if we could. Then ,and only then, to try to get out with “But every day we’re here,” Jer ry protested, “increases our chan ces of being detected. the Ger mans have planes over here all the time. It looks as if we will he clear tomorrow for instance. And every day that the Germans are working away at that road block where the French blasted the rocks in the defile. They’ll he get ting through before long and— “I realize all of that.” Doctor Overton said calmly. “But our first duty is to the wounded men. We must do what we can to effect their recovery. Then we must try to get out with them. If we can’t —well, maybe we can get over to Switzerland. But there’s no point in coming in here to operate, to treat these men, and in then being1 so eager to get them out that we kill them in doing it. The next morning they awoke with the first light of dawn. Anxi ously Jerry peered out and saw a clear blue sky. He swore softly, and the Frenchman at his side grin ned. “I know,” he said. ,“We do not like good weather, either.” They ashed ;n the cold waters of a nearby mountain brook, and then Jerry took a pan of the wat er back to the plane. There he found a small can of tinned heat, which he lit and placed under the pan. When the water was hot he dumped into it two packets of a prepared coffee. He and the guerrilla leader had their breakfast together. The Frenchman smiled delightedly ov er the coffee. ‘■\Ve have had nothing like this for many many months,” he salt). ‘They’re probably having it up at the cave too,” Jerry sSTd. “We brought in a couple of cases of army rations of various kinds. 1 ater they left the plane ami Jerry gave the signals ail the way back up the Roc d’Knfer. Along the way the Frenchman pointed out two or three small paths that branched oil' from tile ma'in way, telling Jerry where they led. At the cave he found Laura and Foe tor Overton making the lound of their patients. When they had iinished. Jerry asked Lauia about Major ( ompton. ^ourng along well, Laura smiled. ' Better than the doctor had hoped. But B my the—the En glishman — his arm is worse. Afraid it will have to come oil. lloetoi hasn’t decided yet." "How about the others?" Jerry "All okay,” Laura replied "The btodil plasma, tight kind of food, and treatment have worked won del s. "Let's take a little walk," Jer ry suggested. I knew my way around here a bit now. ’ l'o ; stroll* d down the main path hand in maid. When they weie i ut of 1 tilt of the cave they felt close, relaxed -- togelhei again as man, rnd wonr.ai1. not as pilot and nurse. ‘‘What are you smiling about., Jerry?’ Laura asked. "Because 1 m with you for a few minutes," he answered. He stopped and put his arms around her. He kissed her and then simply held her close again without speaking. There was no need to speak. They both felt the same things. They knew that underneath their rutward calm, they were both tense with the danger of this mis sion. They were inwardly keyed up by the dramatic situation in which they found themselves. And for a few minutes it was import ant for them to feel a unity, from which each gained comfort and strength. They walked on again, slowly. Jerry stopped. "Five hundred paces," he muttered. "Now you w;d have your proof that there is i at in these hills— even though you can't see it right now." lie whistled the signal ae hail learned from the guerrilla leaner, and from up anead and a little to the r'o’hi, the answering whistle came back to them. “If 1 didn't know tiiat whistle,’ He said, "we might well nave a few pieces of lead in us .as we went on. Even in these nice peace ful mountains." They walked on again. Then Laura touched Jerry’s arm. "What, was that?” They listened intently. From far away they heard a lovv rumble, like thunder. "Un—1 know,” Jerry said. ”1 heard it this morning and asked. It’s the Germans down at the delile, where the French closed the road with the dynamite Dlast The penmans a’e using 1/mi' lle to clear it again. They think they’ve got the guerillas trapped here and they’re working furious ly to get through and kill them "And they will get through!" Laura said. ‘VMiat then7 ‘"When the, reached th? cave, Laura went inside. Jerry mined a group of the French gueuilas. Trey asked him about his trip from North Africa and Italy and ei-out the dulieulty of landing on their pasture. They wondered if he would be able to take oft with ‘T oon’t know,” Jerry told them ’ l’ri afraid that even with a good stiff wind against me to increase the lift. I'll nick those trees at the end of file held. If 1 just had about fifteen feet more, 1 think we d make it.” “Ah—-we can give you that, ' one of them cried. “We cannot not do it now. The German ob servation planes would see our work and become suspicious. But before you will take off, then we if you tell us two or three hours can chop down many trees at the end of the tieTB." “In just a couple of hours?" he asked. “Can you cut enough trees in that time?” “Twenty of us with sharp axes,” the Frenchman replied. “We can cut down a great many trees in two hours Let me be certain 1 un derstand. You do not need the ground clear and smooth there?” “No,” Jerry said “I’m sure my wheels will be off the ground by tne time 1 reach the end of the pasture. But I’m likely to only six or seven feet in the air at that point, with the heavy load l’U have I need that additional space up in the air.” “That is what I thou.-yht,” the guerrilla replied, as i.i> friends nodded in understanding. "So we need only cut the trees a few feet from the ground, let them lull there. We do not need to re move the stumps, to drag away trunks and branches?" “No, of course not,” said Jerry feeling encouragement in this plan. “And the pain doesn’t have to be as wide as the whole pasture either. Only about thirty feet wide —I can hit that slot easily." “Ah—then we can do that!” the Frenchman replied. “In two hours we can chop a path thirty feet wide and almost as long.” “That will give me thirty feet 1 more before I come to the tall trees!” Jerry exclaimed. “I think I can make it, then.” The Frenchman got up to speak to his leader about this new idea, and Jerry heard the voice of an Englishman at his side. Jolly good notion, that,” the man said with a smile. “Wonder ed about getting off with a load." "Another thirty feet will do it,” Jerry agreed. “Are you a flier?” “ Yes,” the man answered with a smile. “Flight Commander Blaiston, R. A. F. Happy to help as your co-pilot on the way out. I’ve handled these transports oi yours before.” “Good!” Jerry exclaimed. “Ill be needing plenty of help at that particular moment. It will be a ' tough one. We may need a little handling of guns on the trip, too. The Nazis aren’t likely to miss us completely on our return journey ! as they did on our way in. Handle 1 a gun all right.” Of course, tne gmgnsnman said. "We can all handle the ma chine guns. But here’s our speci alist in that field— Lieutenant Chance.”. Jerry greeted the lieutenant, I who strolled up to join in the con versation. Jerry saw that his head , was covered with Dandages but that otherwise he seemed in good condition. “Yes, I’m the gun man,” he said. "Y'ou see. they sent in ex perts in various fields. Blaiston here for aircraft, airfields and such, in case we found some way to use planes more. I’m the gun man—and they really needed one These guerillas have every kind of gun in the world—old French mil itary rifles, some from the Franco Prussian war, too, and captured German rifles and pistols, modern British and American rifles we’ve dropped to them, and some of our machine guns and sub machine guns. Even a good number of hunting rifles and shotguns in the crowd.” “Major Compton is the demo lition expert,” Blaiston took up the story. “Smythe the specialist in jungle fighting, and so on.” Jerry, in his talks with the En glishmen and others among the wounded who were able to be up and about, got to know them well and liked them. But he admired even more the French guerrillas. Jerry, after lunch, went with a group of them around the net work of trails over the top of the Roc d’Enfer. They showed him their pride—a path from the top of the, hill that no one would ever suspect. CH) BE COXTINLED) A lamb grading and marketing program for Ashe, Alleghany, and Watauga counties has been plan ned. says Hazel Meacham, in charge of Extension marketing at ,Stare College. Bees will not gather honey or pollinate crops in the most efiici ent manner unless the hive is large enough for them to develop a big family. RULANE GAS Can Be Used On The Farm As Well As In The Towns For Cooking - Refrigeration Water Heating Charlotte, N. C. Ph. 3-7447 3 SIMPLE STEPS To RELIEVE That Dull, Ache All Over Feelinq of a COLD I Alka-Seltzer ABC METHOD A — Alka-Seltzer, start taking: it at one* to relieve the Dull, Aching: Head, and the Stiff, Sore Muscles. , \ B — Be careful, avoid drafts and sudden changes in tempera ture. Rest — preferably in bed. Keep warm, eat sensi bly, drink plenty of water vt fruit juices. Be sure to get enough Vitamins. I C — Comfort your Sore, Raspy Throat, if caused by the cold, by gargling with Alka-Selt zer. If fever develops, or symptoms become more acute call your doctor. ALKA-SELTZER is a pain re lieving, alkalizing tablet, pleasant to take and unusually effective in action. Take it for Headache, M use alar Pains and for Indigestion, Gas on Stomach, when caused by excess stomach acid. 1 At your drug store — Large package 60*, Small package SO*, by the glass at soda fountainaM ABOVE THE* HULLABALOO By LYTLE HULL PUNISHMENT—NOT RETAL IATION Probably most Germans would like to quit before their country is completely destroyed. But this rather sensible sentiment does not apply to the members of the Nazi party. And why should it? Most of them have nothing to lose. They never owned anything! Ma ny of them didn’t even have jobs before they poined the National Socialist party. They were selec ted in the main from the very dregs of German society — and that’s going some! When Hitler and his associates created their organization they tried to appeal to all classes. They promised relief to the hardpressed industrialist, to the confused poli tican, to the better elements of society, to the "man in the street’' and to those who slink around the dark corners of the city slums. With illusory assurances, with brilliant propaganda methods and with emotional appeal Hitler won over a sufficient number of tnte German people to put him in of fice. From then on he “ran the town.’’ He created a secret police force—the Gestapo—whose effici ency has never been surpassed and whose members were unham pered by human feelings. Picked undoubtedly from the lowest stra ta of a low and brutal element, these gorrillas have sunk to about as deep an ebb as history records for human beings. “Sadism” is a strange disease. It seldom attacks normal people. In the first place the seeds of this plague do not seem to exist in the people who lead a decent life; and secondly, normal, decent peo ple seldom indulge in those pas times which fertilize the seed. The bully who knocks down other boys half his size possesses the in clination and later usually be comes a sadist. The callous mur derer is often one; some sailors pick up the disease; and people who control the lives of others, but have no control over their own passions, can acquire this sickness—especially if they are sub-normal to begin with. Sadism is a mad craving to watch the offerings of others, or to cause :t. It grows rapidly with each act >f cruelty. The Gastapo ttarted out by pertecuting the Jews in a— by later itandard*-compar atively mild manner. Persecu tion followed persecution un til it required cruel forms of murder to satisfy the crav ings of these degenerates. The disease spread seeming ly through the entire party; and literally millions of souls —pretty low to begin with— sank into a state of active de generacy, or of a collousness which made possible horrors of the murder camps which we read about so frequently It is ridiculous to advocate flic destruction of 80,000.000 Gor mans in retaliation. We would sink to the same level as those we sought to punish, and destroy our own souls in the act. But it is not ridiculous to advocate the death penalty for those who are in any manner guilty of the crimes which have now been authentically veri fied: nor to recommend the use of several million members of the Nazi party for the reconstruction of the countries which they have ravaged. Slave labor is degener ating both to slave and moster; but punishment of the guilty is a normal procedure without which society could not function. 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Lineberrv Street, Lowell. X. C. wag aboard this No More Proud Sight ALL THE WORLD looks to The American Flag as the symbol of freedom front aggression and a guarantee that peace and righteousness shall pre vail. This, official insignia of the Mighty Seventh War Loan, shows the raising of the Hag on Iwo Jima by U. S. Marines. It js the picture that has been more widely used than any in this war, proceeds of which the AP donated to service relief. hssex class aircraft earner when her planes battered Okinawa pri or to the Marine and Army land ings. With other units of the Pacific Fleet, this ship sent out her planes in along series of scoop and strikes that blasted enemy aircraft, shore installations and shipping from the Ryukyu Is lands to the Japanese homleand. Veteran Pacific fighters; aboard live ship consider the recent ac tion among the severest of the War in the Pacific. Sometimes day and night were broken by only a] at pauses for food and rest. Planes were fueled. armed, aunrhed, then landed and at oliee prepared to tight again. Besides doing her primary job of servicing its a'r group, the currier put in a few licks with her own guns, destroying one en emy plane and helping down an The weed killer called “Sinox” will destroy such broad leuf plants as ragweed and morning glory hut does not atfecl Bermu da grass, crab grass, and the like, reports I)r. Emerson Collins >f State College, after a series of tests in corn fields. A country wide shortage of food containers of all kind* is re ported by the War Food Adminis tration. \ To the thousands of men and women who comprise the Seaboard family, the term “courteous service’* is not just a catch phrase. It is rather the outward expression of a sincere desire to treat our patrons as we would want to be treated if we were in their place. A railroad is no different from yny other enterprise, in that the human equation is vital to the success of the business. And while it is well known that couitesy is of first importance as a business builder, we take great pride in the fact that with Seaboard the friendly smile and cheerful word spring from that innate consideration for others which is the basis for all true courtesy. The Seaboard’s primary function is to provide adequate transportation service to the public. In the fulfillment of that objective it is our ambition to do , so in such a way as to justify the claim —“once a patron, always a friend.” Buy Mora WAR RONDSI I