rmation after which you went?"

"We did, sir," returned Hal.

He passed to the general the documents he had taken from the young German
aide. General Petain scanned them carefully.

"These will be invaluable to me," he said quietly.

Then Chester told the French commander of the conversation he had
overheard in the quarters of the German Crown Prince.

"Now that I have escaped," the lad concluded, "it may be possible, of
course, that the German plans will be altered."

"You have done well," said the general again, "and as I have said, your
work shall be brought to the personal attention of the President." He
turned to Stubbs. "You, sir," he said, "are not a soldier, yet I have to
thank you for your part in this mission."

Stubbs blushed like a school boy.

"I didn't do anything deserving of credit, sir," he said. "My young
friends here were the directing heads and performed all the
dangerous work."

"Nevertheless," returned the general, "you are deserving of praise and if
there is anything I can do for you, you have but to ask it."

Stubbs hesitated. There was something he wanted very much but he did not
know whether to make the request or not. General Petain saw the little
man's indecision, and said with a smile:

"You have something on your mind, sir. Come, out with it. Be sure it will
be granted if it lies in my power."

Still Stubbs hesitated. Chester stepped forward, smiling.

"I believe I can tell you what it is, sir," he said.

"Speak," said the general.

"Why, sir," said Chester, "Mr. Stubbs would have your permission to send
an account of the great explosion to his newspaper uncensored. He would
have the people of the United States know, through his paper, of the
severe blow the enemy has suffered."

"H-m-m-m," muttered the general. "The United States will hear of the
disaster, of course. Mr. Stubbs, with the other correspondents, will be
allowed to file his despatches after the official report has been made."

"But that's the point, sir," said Stubbs, stepping forward. "I would like
to have my paper get the news first."

"Oho! I see," exclaimed General Petain. "You want for your paper what you
Americans' call a--a--a--"

"Scoop."

Chester supplied the word.

"Exactly," said Stubbs.

The general considered the matter for a moment. Then he threw wide his
arms in a gesture of consent.

"It shall be done," he said.

"Thank you, General," said Stubbs. "Then, with your permission, I wi