I do, and----"

Tom laughed outright.

"You shut up!" said Archer. "You want to make a treaty, huh? All right,
that'll be two Huns less forr the Allies to feed. We'll swap with you,
all right, and I wish you luck. I don't know wherre you'rre going or
what you'rre going to do and I don't carre a rotten apple. Only you
ain't going to dictate terrms to _me_. You'll take these crazy old rags
and you'rre welcome to 'em, and we'll take yourr uniforms if that's what
you want. Treaty! _We'll_ make a treaty with you! And we'll take the
boat too, and if that don't satisfy you then that's the end of the
what-d'-you-call it! You keep still!" he added, turning to Tom.

CHAPTER XXIV

MILITARY ETIQUETTE

"What did you mean by the _what-d'-you call it?_" Tom asked, as they
rowed through the darkness for the Baden shore.

"Arrmis-stice," said Archer, wrestling with the word.

"Oh," said Tom.

"That's the way to handle 'em," Archer said with undisguised
satisfaction.

"I never saw you like that before," said Tom. "I had to laugh when you
said _consarn_."

"That's the Huns all overr," said Archer, his vehemence not yet
altogether abated. "They'll try to do the bossing even afterr they'rre
licked. Treaties! They've got theirr firrst taste of a _Yankee_ treaty,
hey? Didn't even have a sworrd and wanted me to think they werre doin'
us a favorr! President Wilson knows how to handle that bunch, all right,
all right!--Don't row if you'rre tirred."

"It don't hurt my leg to row, only I see now I couldn't swim it."

"Think I didn't know that?" said Archer.

"I got to admit you did fine," said Tom.

"You got to get 'em down on theirr knees beforre you make a treaty with
'em," boasted Archer. "You can see yourself they'rre no good when they
haven't got any commanderr--or any arrms. When Uncle Sam makes a treaty
with that gang, crab-apples, but I hope he gets the boat, too."

"I know what you mean," said Tom soberly. "I have to laugh at the way
you talk when you get mad. It reminds me of the country and Temple
Camp."

"That's one thing I learned from knockin' around in Europe since this
warr starrted," said Archer. "The botches, or whatever you call 'em, are
no darrned good when you get 'em alone. The officers may be all right,
but the soldierrs are thick. If I couldn't 'a' knocked the bluff out o'
that lord-high critturr, I'd 'a' rubbed his pie face in the mud!"

Tom laughed at his homely expletives and Archer broke ou