jy e r ic la V 0 P y should read bf GENERAL ARED WHITE W az X rolee installment denning benning took oft off to the east in late afternoon he decided on boise as the point of vantage from which to observe final developments cu ze e occupation of the pacific there he would find no difficulty 1 in making his daily wire reports to Flag will boise had turned os off its lights meaning to play no risks against rangy invader bombers denning benning and hawtry went to the hotel boise the dining room was lighted by tallow candles the place jammed by refugees from the coast news broadcasts were coming in excitedly from the stricken coast region enemy divisions had landed at the mouth of the columbia river on the oregon coast taken the antiquated coast forts from the rear with a few platoons of infantry and were proceeding up the river toward portland A submarine base was reported established at tongue point at of the columbia flier r A ier invader divisions had landed on the he undefended coast north of san francisco and were marching into the sacramento valley van hassels Has guaymas motorized columns had taken los angeles and were well north toward san francisco to effect a junction with their oriental allies by tomorrow all coast naval bases would be in the hands of the enemy san francisco was broadcasting news when the announcer broke off to announce a hookup with the white house president bannard had a message for the stricken pacific coast an orchestra struck up the star spangled banner the announcer asked all listeners to rise A few bars of music music and the radio snapped off there was a long silence denning benning saw the people about him their nerves shattered exchange frightened glances there has been a change in our program the announcers voice was forced unsteady we are compelled to change our program pro program iram president bannard will not be heard I 1 will turn the microphone over to the next speaker who will introduce himself the voice that now came over the radio was coldly officious his words sharply clipped and with a distinct oriental accent 1 I am commanded to speak for his excellency field marshal von hassek who has arrived at san diego to take supreme command I 1 sao dire directed to say that his excel al YV proclaims the power of his authority over the western united states all of you will be secure in your lives and property so long as you do not molest his excellences soldiers or refuse their requisitions for supplies and billets within the few days his excellency will complete his occupation proclamations will at once be issued giving you information you will need to abide by his excellences laws for the present there is nothing further to be said good night CHAPTER each night tor for a week past benning had gone to sleep with a joyous rhythmic throbbing in his brain th the echo of what to him was a glo r bryns als music it was the music of L h hing 1 ng feet and of rolling trains ic chaissons caissons cais als sons music that conjured up visions of a great day yet to come what time he could find to himself away from his duties at GHQ of late afternoons he spent on the roads at the edge of salt lake listening to that same refrain as it beat from the heavy field shoes of march THE STORY SO FAR more than foreign troops secretly assembled in mexico by van hassek suddenly invaded the united states vastly superior I 1 in numbers and equipment to tha american forces which opposed them van Has hassels troops pushed relentlessly forward the U S army was not pre Z X xing infantry on their way to the westward trains A beautiful sight were those bronzed strong bodies of men who marched with slanted muskets or sat upright in trucks behind their rolling caissons chaissons cais sons they showed their long hard months of training these rugged youngsters and their faces were gravely radiant with a soldiers high morale as they faced the west at last on the great adventure at sunset of a june evening bennings eyes lifted over that endless cavalcade he had been watching and his gaze fixed on the crimson glow on the peaks of the wasatch east of the city it was on this evening that denning benning was to take off to the west on a vital mission that was to make history texas and the pacific states had suffered unspeakable cruelties cruel ties and hardships under the heavy heels of the invader what wealth they had was stripped to the bone what energies they had were harnessed against their own country to aid their armed oppressors there had been those months of a reign of terror when cities within range of the atlantic were shelled bombers rained the count rys great cities with death carrying their assaults in the dark of the night far inland to such cities as chicago and st louis cleveland detroit cincinnati cin nati indianapolis what large city had not felt the wrath of predatory aircraft then had come the van hassek demand president bannard himself had insisted that van hassek be allowed to present to the whole country his terms of peace over all the networks van hassek had spoken for the coalition powers peace could he had at the price of alaska hawaii the right of unrestricted immigration renunciation of the monroe doctrine internationalization aliza tion of the panama canal Tann ards voice came ringing back now in dennings bennings memory an answer to go down in history the united states asks no terms we mean to destroy the armies that have invaded our shores and then we will hold to an accounting those predatory powers that are responsible for international brigandage that is our last word to our enemies until you come before us on your knees in the humility of utter defeat there had been glorious days as well as the months drifted by there had been that day of two months ago when the third army reorganized reinforced and invincible crashed down across texas to drive the invader south of the rio grande behind the passes of the there was formed this great army whose fighting reserves now marched into the west long patient months this had taken months that had tried the courage and resources of the country denning benning turned from his reflections to the realities of headquarters dusk was falling the skies were refilling we filling with planes planes that pointed their noses to the west the vast caravan of men and guns moved on in its endless rhythm as it emptied the huge training camps of the salt lake valley of their half million men at headquarters he checked his personal effects musette bag belt and pistol map case field glasses raincoat steel helmet the buzzer pared for this sudden attack and could only retreat in the face of 0 force orce expeditionary forces arces set sail from both the mediterranean and the far east the U S pacific fleet began the long trip around cape horn to protect the atlantic seaboard when the panama canal was destroyed by dynamite laden from Flag wills desk rang at eight Flag will was now a two star general with the assignment of chief of staff of the western group of field armies smells to me like a crush note Flag will said sniffing at a small linen envelope and handing it to benning but since it came from paris in the diplomatic pouch and was shot here from washington by air courier it may have some importance denning benning slit the envelope open with a paper knife A message on a single slip of paper which bore no signature read mon capitaine I 1 presume you may know already that M bravot is in your country under masquerade in the hope of redeeming himself in van hassels Has favor F denning benning passed the note to general Flag will and said with a thoughtful smile that note from our little french girl startles me sir rather a coincidence to receive this just when bravot has been on my mind today ive had a hunch the fellow might be around somewhere Flag will stood up and took from the pocket of his coat a pair of silver oak leaves he handed them to denning benning and said heres your new insignia of rank colonel with my affectionate best wishes shortly before nine benning wound his way in Flag wills sedan through the endless troop convoys to the landing field in his dispatch case were the secret orders that would put hollings fourth army into the attack four planes were lined up at the field to carry as many field officer couriers with orders that would put the group of four ou r field armies into action dennings bennings pilot stiff and erect at attention beside his fuselage saluted punctiliously in his present preoccupation it was only dennings bennings long habit of sharp observation that picked up the minor inconsistency of a pilot with goggles fixed over his eyes before he climbed to the cockpit As denning benning searched the pilot he saw the officers body stiffen bennings hand drove to his holstered bolstered service pistol as he picked out in the moonlight his fellows profile the masquerader flashed into action at the same instant with even deliberation denning benning leveled his weapon and pressed the trigger bravot sank to the ground pilots and ground crew rushed up denning benning leaned over the fallen man and stripped off the goggles floodlights Flood lights were switched on a hurried search made for captain calta in 1 trench pilot of the plane body was found in the shadow of a nearby near by hangar a knife thrust through his heart denning benning hastily searched Br avots uniform in a canvas dispatch case he found cleverly counterfeited orders for a prompt withdrawal of three divisions from an important salient in enemy lines east of sacramento in the small hours of the morning bennings plane put him down at carson city A military automobile took him north around lake tahoe thence west into the slopes of the sierras columns plodded on silent shadows in the night an endless caravan of men moving to the front daybreak was close at hand when ships aided by a heavy tog fog troops from the orient established bridgeheads on the pacific coast intelligence officer benning was assigned the grim task ot of reporting developments to his bis superior colonel Flag will who was stationed in washington now continue with the story he reached the fourth ardys advance command post the army commander took the dispatch from denning benning broke the seal and read with a visible tightening ot of jaws very good he said this is just what ive been waiting for my army is itching to jump off from the distance heavy artillery grumbled at the dawn its vibrations tossed from mountain to mountain in a dull ominous monotone of sound in front of them the invader held the superiority of strength in the present moment but van hassels Has air force no longer commanded the skies and his espionage system east of the cascades and had been snuffed out by firing squads denning benning worked feverishly to acquaint himself with the intimate details of enemy strength morale and dispositions in five days a million men would be ready to attack behind that mighty cavalcade of trained fighting men another halt half million were in the final stages of seasoning for battle and could be pushed forward when the need tor for them arrived the fourth army was shaping itself to attack to the south and west whatever the cost it was to push its way past sacramento and cut the van hassek forces in twain simultaneously the first second and fifth armies would press forward with a vigor that would prevent van hassek from centering his reserves against the fourth upon the advantages of the first few weeks of action would depend the final massed attacks that were aimed to sweep the invader into the pacific dawn of the day of attack came with a roar of artillery that shook the skies down a three hundred mile front old timers vowed that not even the argonne witnessed such volcanic wrath of artillery light medium and heavy artillery pounded the van hassek trenches for an hour and in its wake came the infantry waves pushing relentlessly ahead in the first red welter of the tortuous miles to the sea on a day after crimson weeks that benning flew in reconnaissance over sacramento the first american waves were at last on the edge of the city A heavy pall of smoke told that the invader had abandoned the city in flames indication that he meant to hold farther to the west rather than trust here to counter attacks that told denning benning too that the van hassek lines to the north and south would be drawn back dennings bennings pulse surged as he viewed from the skies heavy enemy columns marching to the west from sacramento to take up some new strategic disposition the spectacle seemed to vitalize hagues prophecy bring nearer the day of fulfillment dark months lay ahead many many men yet must die and the count rys stamina would be tested to the last fiber of its strength but for denning benning there were no doubts the dawn would come that glorious dawn of the day when he had vowed for himself a glorious adventure on that day he meant to wing his way to the north again whence had come those fierce shadows in the fog there he would see their survivors as they melted back into the pacific before the mighty vengeance of our massed valor THE END