ce, in spite of what Colonel Throckmorton
had said. He thought it more likely that they were being tried out and
tested, so that the colonel might draw his own conclusions as to how far he
might safely trust them in the future. But he repressed his inclination to
smile at this sudden excess of caution on Dick's part. It was a move in the
right direction, certainly.

"Yes, we'll do that," he said. "I'll walk across the bridge, and you can
take the tube under the river from the Monument."

They followed that plan, and met without incident at the station. Here more
than ever the fact of war was in evidence. A considerable space in and near
the station had been roped off and sentries refused to allow any to pass
who could not prove that they had a right to do so. The ordinary peaceful
vocation of the great terminal was entirely suspended.

"Anything happen to you?" asked Harry, with a smile. "I nearly got run
over--but that was my own fault."

"No, nothing. I saw Graves. And he wanted to know what I was doing."

"What did you tell him?"

"Nothing. I said, 'Don't you wish you knew?' And he got angry, and said he
didn't care."

"It wasn't any of his business. You did just right," said Harry.

They had to wait a few moments to see Major French, who was exceedingly
busy. They needed no one to tell them what was going on. At every platform
trains were waiting, and, even while they looked on, one after another
drew out, loaded with soldiers. The windows were whitewashed, so that, once
the doors of the compartments were closed, none could see who was inside.
There was no cheering, which seemed strange at first, but it was so plain
that this was a precautionary measure that the boys understood it easily
enough. Finally Major French, an energetic, sunburned man, who looked as if
he hadn't slept for days, came to them. They handed him the papers they
carried. He glanced at them, signed receipts which he handed to them, and
then frowned for a moment.

"I think I'll let you take a message to Colonel Throckmorton for me," he
said, then, giving them a kindly smile. "It will be a verbal message. You
are to repeat what I tell you to him without a change. And I suppose I
needn't tell you that you must give it to no one else?"

"No, sir," they chorused.

"Very well, then. You will tell him that trains will be waiting below
Surbiton, at precisely ten o'clock to-night. Runways will be built to let
the men climb the embankment, and