farther formation. They dived down through the clouds. He never knew
what they went to look for or what they found. He went groggily back to
his bunk in a strange and embarrassing weakness.

He woke when the plane landed. He didn't know where it might be. It was,
he knew, an island. He could see the wide, sun-baked white of the
runways. He could see sea-birds in clouds over at the edge. The plane
trundled and lurched slowly to a stop. A service-truck came growling
up, and somebody led cables from it up into the engines. Somebody
watched dials, and waved a hand.

There was silence. There was stillness. Joe heard voices and footsteps.
Presently he heard the dull booming of surf.

The plane seemed to wait for a very long time. Then there was a faint,
faint distant whine of jets, and a plane came from the east. It was
first a dot and then a vague shape, and then an infinitely graceful dark
object which swooped down and landed at the other end of the strip. It
came taxiing up alongside the transport ship and stopped.

An officer in uniform climbed out, waved his hand, and walked over to
the transport. He climbed up the ladder and the pilot and co-pilot
followed him. They took their places. The door closed. One by one, the
jets chugged, then roared to life.

The officer talked to the pilot and co-pilot for a moment. He came down
the aisle toward Joe. Mike the midget regarded him suspiciously.

The plane stirred. The newly arrived officer said pleasantly, "The Navy
Department's sent me out here, Kenmore, to be briefed on what you know