ng, "It's
fine and distinct, old man."

Ted took another look about. He lifted himself on the door-knob and
then eager hands helped him out. Walker ran down the fire escape to
take a look around the room and Strong hoisted himself up on the knob
and also looked about. Ted's work had been thorough and neither of
them made any criticisms.

"Well, that's something of a relief," said Walker. Ted closed the
fanlight.

"Nothing to do until tonight," and Walker grinned.

"Let's eat," said Strong. "Coming with us, Bronson?"

"Certainly," was the answer.

CHAPTER VI

STRONG SEEMS CHECKMATED

Ted was too excited to eat.

"Better eat, lad," said Walker. "We do not know when we will get
another chance today. If no one else seemed to be following his
advice, he himself considered it good enough to heed. He was eating
enough for two.

"I imagine it is going to be risky business tonight," Bronson
remarked. "I wish I could be with you."

"It's either going to be that, or it is going to be very simple,"
Strong answered.

"That is the trouble with all adventure, these days," Walker
complained. "It's always so very simple."

"I consider this extremely interesting and exciting," replied Strong.
"It is like a tremendous game of chess with enough elements of danger
added to suit the most exacting. Don't imagine that we shall not be in
danger every second tonight. These Germans are cold-blooded. If we
should happen to be in their way, should they find out how much we
actually know, we can say good-bye; the sun would rise tomorrow, but
we might not."

He turned to Ted. "Well, lad, are you afraid?"

"I'm going to stick, of course," was the reply.

"Well, comrades, here is the plan. The keys you see here, one for each
of us, are for Room 420. We shall separate. At six-thirty we must all
plan to be in that room. No noise must be made when you come; no sound
must be made while you are there."

"We had better make sure we do all our sneezing outside, eh?" Every
one laughed with Walker.

"It will be your last sneeze, if it's inside," Strong laughingly
warned him. "The least sound, a scraping chair, would be heard. Stay
in Room 420; the fire escape makes 418 dangerous, if anyone should be
curious and decide to come up and look into that room. Of course,
there will be no lights turned on.

"Should any of us fail to get there, he who does must make every
effort to get the import of the conversation."

"Can I do any