nstable, I suppose?"

I was only going on duty--theoretically I am never off duty--but I am
missing no chances.

"Yes," I said, "I am. Do you mind telling me, quite between ourselves,
you know, whether you are a German spy?"

He smiled slightly.

"Because if you are," I said, "perhaps you wouldn't mind holding on a
minute. The strap of my truncheon has (tug) got fouled (tug) with my
(tug) braces."

I got it out at last and stroked it lovingly. "I can't start before I'm
ready," I said. "Rather neat bit of wood--what? Chose it myself at Bow
Street. I take a 13-1/2-ounce racquet, you know."

"You seem," he said, "to have given up caring whether I am a German spy
or not."

"Your mistake," I said; "I was merely gaining time to size you up
properly. Better take your pince-nez off. Broken glass is such a
nuisance, don't you think?"

He ignored the friendly hint. "As a matter of fact," he said, "I _am_
partly German."

"Show me the German part," I said, gripping the corrugations of my
truncheon more tightly. "I'm a little pressed for time."

"And partly French," he went on.

"That's rather awkward," I said.

"And I was born in Russia."

"Worse and worse," I said.

"And spent practically the first twenty years of my life in Italy."

"This," I said, "is the absolute boundary. Yours is a case for the New
Prize Courts."

"But you haven't formally arrested me yet," he said.

"True," I said, "I'm just coming to that part, but at the moment I've
forgotten the opening movements of the half-nelson."

"My wife," he said musingly, "will be very annoyed. She's extremely
English, you know."

"Look here," I said, "I really think I shall let you go, after all. So
little of you is the enemy, so much the friend, that I don't care to
take the responsibility of arresting you. But perhaps I ought to resign.
Come and have a sandwich, I've just time for one, and we can talk it
over."

"Right," he said, "we may as well. By the way, it was my grandparents on
my mother's side who were French and German." Then, producing his
warrant card, he said, "I am a Special too. My name's Briggs."

* * * * *

Illustration: TALES FROM THE TRENCHES.

_Some of our Soldiers, who were within seventy yards of the German
trenches, hoisted an improvised target. The Germans did the same. Both
sides signalled the result of the shooting._

_First Tommy._ "GET DOWN! DO YOU WANT 'EM TO COP YER?"

_Second Tommy._