arting present--looked up, blowing out a
blue cloud.

"A secret service agent?" he said. "That's a sort of fly cop, isn't it?"

"That's about it, Cherry," replied Malcolm.

"And do you think they'll call me a fly cop?" said the interested
Cherry.

Malinkoff nodded, and the gun-man chewed on his cigar.

"Time brings its revenges, don't it?" he said. "Never, oh never, did I
think that I should be took for a fellow from the Central Office! It
only shows you that if a guy continues on the broad path that leadeth to
destruction, and only goes enough, he'll find Mrs. Nemesis--I think
that's the name of the dame."

Malinkoff strolled to the edge of the wood and came back hurriedly.

"The aeroplane is returning," he said, "and is accompanied by another."

This time neither machine took the direct route. They were sweeping the
country methodically from side to side, and Malinkoff particularly
noticed that they circled about a smaller wood two miles away and seemed
loth to leave it.

"What colour is the top of this car?" he asked, and Bim climbed up.

"White," he said. "Is there time to put on a little of this 'camelflage'
I've heard so much about?"

The party set to work in haste to tear down small branches of trees and
scraps of bushes, and heap them on to the top of the car. Cherry Bim,
who had the instinct of deception, superintending the actual masking of
the roof, and as the sun was now setting detected a new danger.

"Let all the windows down," said Cherry. "Put a coat over the glass
screen and sit on anything that shines."

They heard the roar of the aeroplane coming nearer and crouched against
the trunk of a tree. Suddenly there was a deafening explosion which
stunned the girl and threw her against Malcolm. She half-rose to run but
he pulled her down.

"What was it?" she whispered.

"A small bomb," said Malcolm. "It is an old trick of airmen when they
are searching woods for concealed bodies of infantry. Somebody is bound
to run out and give the others away."

Cherry Bim, fondling his long Colt, was looking glumly at the cloud of
smoke which was billowing forth from the place where the bomb had
dropped. Round and round circled the aeroplane, but presently, as if
satisfied with its scrutiny, it made off, and the drone of the engine
grew fainter and fainter.

"War's hell," said Cherry, wiping his pallid face with a hand that
shook.

"I can't quite understand it," said Malinkoff. "Even supposing that