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against England.”
    “No, but she can’t stand against Germany. I think Hitler will take her easily. This war will be lightning fast, and it’ll be won or lost by air power. The French can’t understand that, and our own people are just beginning to.”
    The two men turned and walked slowly back toward the house. “I hear you’ve agreed to go on that coon hunt with Clint and Kat tonight,” Lewis remarked.
    “Yes. It sounds like a bit of fun.”
    Lewis laughed. “Have you ever hunted foxes? I hear Englishmen do that.”
    “Oh yes. It’s a little different from a coon hunt, though. You’re on horseback.”
    “What do you do with them when you catch them? You don’t eat them, do you?”
    “No, of course not. As a matter of fact, Oscar Wilde once described a fox hunt as the unspeakable in pursuit of the inedible. Just another of our foolish British habits. We have a lot of them.”
    “Well, if you like to run through the woods in the middle of the night, a coon hunt will be just the thing for you.”
    “I’m looking forward to it. It will be most entertaining, I’m sure.”
    ****
    “I don’t reckon you can hunt in them fancy threads,” Clint said with a grin. “You’d better come along with me.”
    Parker followed Clint into the house and up the stairs. When he turned into one of the bedrooms, Clint said, “I keep some of my old clothes up here. It’s handier than havin’ them over at my place, even though it’s just down the road.” He pulled some overalls off a hook, then a garish green-and-red shirt.
    “I say, that shirt would frighten a coon to death, wouldn’t it?”
    “I reckon it’s not exactly what you’d wear to meet the queen, but it’ll do for tonight.” He opened the closet door and pulled out a pair of well-worn work shoes. “You can try these on for fit too.”
    Clint left the room while Parker tried on the shirt and overalls. He put on the brogans too, which turned out to be justa bit large for him, but he managed to tie them on securely. He stood up and opened the door. “It feels like these overalls are falling off! There’s no belt.”
    “You’ll get used to it. I’ve worn them most of my life. Here, you can wear this cap.”
    Parker took the billed cap that said FORD across the front and snugged it onto his head. “How do I look?”
    “Like a limey tryin’ to look like an American.” Clint grinned. “Let’s show the rest of the party how you look.”
    They filed downstairs, where they found Kat waiting for them. She was wearing well-worn blue jeans, a light blue shirt, and heavy half boots. She laughed aloud at Parker.
    “Do I look that ridiculous?”
    “Yes, you do, but the raccoons won’t notice. Are you sure you want to do this, Parker?”
    “Certainly! One should investigate the customs of the aborigines in whatever country one visits.”
    Clint stared at him. “What did you just say?”
    “Never mind, Clint. Let’s go get some coons,” Kat said.
    ****
    Kat turned to Parker, who was puffing along in the dark woods beside her. He had a scratch on his right cheek and was hanging on to a sapling as they made their way up a steep slope. “Do you want to rest, Parker?”
    “No!”
    “Don’t be so proud. That’s the way you men are.”
    “I hate to be bested by a woman.”
    “Well, sometime I’ll go to England and go with you on a fox hunt. I’ll probably fall off the horse and you can feel superior again.”
    Parker released the sapling and smiled down at Kat. “I wish you would come to England. There’s so much there I’d like to show you.”
    She started to make a witty remark but saw the seriousness on his face. “Why would I go to England?”
    “To see me, of course. Maybe to teach us all more about American cattle.”
    She hesitated. “I’d like that, but I’m sure it would cost a great deal.”
    “It is rather expensive. You’d have to go on a ship. I wouldn’t trust one of those airplanes.”
    Suddenly Kat lifted her head.