ibility for the safety of the Zeppelins. But whether that were so
or not, he was plainly maddened by the sight of the boys. He could
scarcely have understood how completely they were responsible, but the
way they were running and the direction whence they came proved only too
clearly that they had had some hand in it.

"Stop, Henri!" cried Frank, suddenly. "We can't get away. We surrender!"

They stopped. Frank was obeying the order Major Cooper had given him.
Perhaps, had he been alone, he would have risked a further attempt to
escape. But there was no doubt that the German meant to shoot, and he
could not expose Henri to the risk.

They stopped full in the path of light that came from the open door of
the inn. Behind them, in the road, voices were raised. It was plain that
their wires had been followed, and that others were in pursuit. And,
after all, Frank felt they could afford to grin at being made prisoners
now. They had accomplished a great feat. Even if they were caught, that
was to their credit.

And then suddenly he gave a cry of horror. Henri was a little ahead of
him for he had not been able to stop as abruptly as Frank. And the
German officer, too furious, perhaps, to think of what he was doing,
raised his pistol and fired point-blank at the French boy! He fired--but
there came from his pistol not a sharp report, but only the dull click
as the hammer fell. Twice more he pulled the trigger. But something was
wrong. He had made a fatal error--his revolver was unloaded.

But it was only by the luckiest of accidents that Henri was still alive.
Frank had seen the murderous attempt, and now rage mastered him for the
moment.

"You coward!" he shrieked. He flung himself at the German officer, who
was trying frantically to get at his cartridges. So sudden was the
attack that he was taken utterly by surprise. Before he could defend
himself, Frank was wrenching his arm. A moment more, and the German
officer squealed like a frightened pig, for Frank had succeeded in
getting a hammer lock on him. He pulled at the revolver with his other
hand, and at last the German, to escape a broken arm, had to loosen his
grip. Even a weakling can cripple the strongest man if he once gets that
hold. And Frank, in his rage at the cowardly thing he had seen, was
almost a match for the full grown man in any case.

As soon as he got the revolver he let go of the German's arm. But before
the officer could move, Frank had clubbed the