sted the lad, "we must first go to our other hotel and get
the clothes we have secured for our work."

"You will have to talk to General Gallieni about that," said the
officer gruffly.

"But General Gallieni knows all about our plans."

"Does he? I'm not so sure. However, I guess he will before long?"

"Look here," said Hal, "what's the matter with you?"

"Come, now," said the officer, "that's enough of that. March."

Chester broke into a laugh, and Hal glanced at him in surprise.

"What are you laughing at?" he demanded.

"Why," said Chester, "I am laughing because you can't see through this."

"Is that so?" said Hal, somewhat nettled. "Perhaps you can see
through it?"

"Of course," said Chester. "General Gallieni simply sent this squad after
us. He didn't explain the situation to the officer."

"By Jove!" said Hal. "Now, why didn't I think of that? It's plain enough,
now that you speak of it."

They marched along in silence, and soon were ushered into the presence of
General Gallieni. The latter dismissed the other officers with a wave of
his hand and turned to the lads.

"Well, I see you escaped," he said, with a semblance of a smile on his
grim features.

"Yes, sir; thanks to you, sir," said Hal, also smiling.

"Thank yourselves," said the general. "It took some resourcefulness to
think of such a plan. It proves to me that you can use your heads. I
am, therefore, more confident that you may be successful in your
desperate work."

Hal and Chester were greatly flattered by this high praise, but they
simply saluted and said:

"Thank you, sir."

"Now," said the general, "you may as well go about the work at once.
Further delay is useless. But you cannot go in those uniforms. Didn't you
lay in some other clothes, as you suggested?"

"We did, sir," replied Hal, "but the officer who conducted us here
wouldn't let us go after them."

"True," said the general. "I didn't explain the situation to him, because
I feared that he might possibly give the _coup_ away. Perhaps I can fix
you up here, however."

He struck a little bell on his desk a sharp tap. Immediately an orderly
entered and to him the general spoke briefly. The orderly saluted and
departed, returning a few moments later with a bundle of ragged clothing.

"You may go into the next room and change," said the general, and the
lads hastened to obey.

Ten minutes later, dirty, ragged and unkempt, they once more stood before
General Gallieni