. I shall see your friends,
instead."

"When you get through with 'em you'll think they're idiots," grinned
Captain Jack Benson.

Herr Radberg wasn't a fool. Neither was he a rascal, expert in offering
bribes. Brought up within the wall's of a German university, he would
have been willing to lay down his life instantly for the good of the
Fatherland. Yet he couldn't understand that men of other nations could
be just as devoted to their own countries. From Herr Professor
Radberg's point of view Germany was the only country in the world that
was fitted to inspire a real and deep sense of patriotism.

"No harm done, Professor," said Jack, moving toward the door, and
turning the key to unlock it. "I'm sorry you had all the trouble and
expense of coming to Dunhaven on a useless errand. Good-bye!"

"Ach! You may go, but you will come back," scowled the other. "If
not, your comrades will, I hope, prove to be young men of better sense
and judgment."

"Oh, they'll listen to you," smiled Jack. "Good-bye!"

"I shall have two of you, anyway," were Radberg's last words before the
door of the outer room closed and Jack's footsteps sounded in the
corridor.

CHAPTER II

"FRENCH SPOKEN HERE"

"Well, what do you think of that?"

It was Eph Somers who put the question, and the time was some fifteen
minutes later.

Captain Jack had met his two comrades up on the main street of the
village. He had told them, with a good deal of amusement, of his late
talk with the German.

Hal Hastings didn't say a word, but his eyes twinkled.

"I wouldn't have minded," laughed Jack, "but it was the Professor's
cock-sureness that I was to be Germany's oyster."

"Is he an old man?" asked Hal.

"Not very," Jack answered. "Perhaps not old enough to know better.
Anyway, if I were going to a foreign government, Germany would be about
the last country. Germany is our rival in building a large navy. About
every other month the experts in Germany sit down to figure whether they
are anything ahead of us in the tonnage of warships, and, if so, whether
there is any danger of our catching up with them. Now, unless the
Germans have a notion that they may need, to fight us one of these
days--"

"Oh, I don't believe anything of that sort," broke in Hal, shaking his
head. "I don't believe any country in the world is aching to pick a
quarrel with us."

"Not while the United States pocket-book is such a fat one, and so well
bu