se anything when there is
anyone around."

Hal and Chester started guiltily. How could Stubbs know they had found
the peas when they fell from the pocket of Jules Clemenceau? Stubbs, who
had been watching the two closely, observed these sudden starts and
interpreted them to his own satisfaction.

"Come now, Stubbs," said Chester, "tell us the rest of this story
of yours."

"No," said Stubbs, "I am going to keep it to myself." He added under his
breath: "The young cubs! Trying to pump an old-timer like me to see how
much I know!"

"You mean you are not even going to tell the general?" asked Hal.

"That's what I mean," said Stubbs.

Hal and Chester exchanged glances. They wondered what had come over the
little man so suddenly. Stubbs caught the interchange of glances and
again he read it wrong. To Stubbs it appeared that there was relief on
their features.

Stubbs shook his head.

"I'm going to turn in," he said.

Not another word could the lads get out of him, try as they would. But
Stubbs, on his cot, did not sleep immediately. Covertly he watched the
two lads as they talked in tones too low for him to hear, strain his ears
as he would.

"Well, I guess I don't need to hear 'em," he told himself. "I can guess
what it's all about."

He rolled over and went to sleep.

But the nature of the lads' conversation was a whole lot different from
what Stubbs thought it was, though it concerned the little man himself.

"Something wrong with him," said Chester.

"Right you are," agreed Hal. "Talks like we had offended him or
something."

"Maybe he just wants to keep us guessing."

"That might be it. Anyhow, if he doesn't tell us to-morrow, I'm going to
tell him what I think of him."

"Then he won't talk," said Chester.

"We might be able to get him mad enough to make him talk," returned Hal.

"By Jove! so we might," said Chester. "We'll have a try at it to-morrow
if it's necessary."

"All right. Then let's turn in. I've a feeling it's going to be a
strenuous day to-morrow."

And it was; though not strenuous in the way Hal had expected.

CHAPTER VI

A PERILOUS SITUATION

Hal and Chester held no conversation with Anthony Stubbs the following
day, and therefore were unable to learn more than they already knew of
the war correspondent's great "story."

Before they rose Stubbs was up and gone, and when he returned, several
hours later, Hal and Chester were receiving orders from General Petain.