"After my job, are you?" said Stubbs, with a smile.

"Well, not exactly. We just offered to help you out."

"I can't see where that would do me any good. However, I guess I'll take
you up on this bet. I might be able to learn something of importance. The
next thing would be to get it by the censor."

"Why, Stubbs," said Chester, "with your pull with General Petain, I can't
see that you should have any trouble."

"My pull, eh?" said Stubbs, with rather a sickly grin. "You two went and
smashed my pull all to smithereens."

"Oh, well," said Hal, "a newspaper man always finds a way."

Stubbs looked at Hal, suspiciously.

"If you're making fun of me--" he began.

"Far from it, Mr. Stubbs," replied Hal. "I was just stating a fact. Why,
you've told us that yourself."

"Come, come, Stubbs," said Chester. "Are you going along or not? It's
time to be moving."

The little war correspondent made his decision.

"I'll go," he said quietly.

CHAPTER XXIII

FLYING

"You know I don't think much of these contraptions," said Stubbs.

With Hal and Chester he was flying aloft in a large army biplane. The
little war correspondent had climbed into the machine with the same
trepidation he always manifested when about to ascend into the air, but
he had not spoken until the machine was a full half mile aloft and Hal
had sent it moving swiftly toward the distant German lines.

"Just sit tight and you will be all right," Chester replied.

"Never fear, I'll sit tight," returned Stubbs and became silent.

It was very dark aloft. Because he feared he might encounter an air craft
of the enemy, Hal had not turned on the searchlight with which the
machine was equipped. He had taken his bearings before making a start and
was now trusting to his judgment of distances to guide him to the spot he
had selected to return to the ground.

This point, which Hal and Chester had decided upon after some
deliberation, was well behind the most advanced German lines. According
to Hal's calculations, it was possible that at the place selected there
would be few German troops. He had figured to descend between the German
lines. Under the cover of darkness he felt there was little to fear
should they avoid all enemy aircraft.

Accordingly, it was about an hour later when Hal reduced the speed of the
biplane and then shut off the motor altogether. A moment later the
machine began to glide slowly to earth.

Chester, peering over the sid