strain a smile of huge delight, for the flag told
him that we must have penetrated a considerable distance into the enemy
lines.

The passage ended abruptly in a luxurious bomb-proof shelter, where
electric light was burning. There was a carpet on the floor marked with
the white chalk prints of many boot soles, and several comfortable
arm-chairs told a story of loot. There were pictures on the walls, and
various doorways indicated the existence of quite a suite of apartments.

The place was full of the blue haze of cigar-smoke, and there were three
officers standing there, all talking at once.

As Dennis clicked his heels again and saluted with his back to the
entrance, his heart beating sixteen to the dozen, one of the officers
turned towards him and scowled sourly.

"Zo! You have condescended to come at last, miserable hound!" he
snarled--a bald-headed man with a general's shoulder-straps.

"Take this message on to the machine in duplicate." And he pointed to a
corner of the dug-out, where there was a telephone board and a stool;
and on a Louis XV. table, with beautiful brass mountings, stood a
typewriter.

Dennis seated himself with alacrity, thanking his stars that he had
learned typewriting in an odd moment, without any distinct idea of it
ever being any good to him.

And somehow at that moment there flashed through his mind the
recollection of Ottilie von Dussel and the carbon in the pay-book, which
had enabled her to escape with her notes.

"Why not a third copy?" he thought. "If I ever get back to H.Q., who
knows what use it might not be to us?"

Opening the box beside the machine, he quickly inserted two carbons and
three sheets of typing paper; and without a second glance at him the
general began to dictate:

"'To Colonel Schlutz, commanding the 307th Bavarian
Battalion.--Immediately upon receipt of this order you are to entrain
your men with the 89th Ersatz Battalion for transportation to Peronne.
Five Prussian regiments will relieve you here to-night, to fill up the
gap in our third line of defence. You are to be as sparing as possible
of ammunition, both for the rifles and the machine-guns, as we are
warned that the supply may be interrupted. You will use the bayonet on
every opportunity.' Have you done?"

"Yes, your excellency," replied "Carl Heft."

"Then I will sign the first copy." And he unscrewed a fountain-pen as he
spoke.

Handing him the uppermost sheet, Dennis seized the opportuni