I had seen two or three
of them somewhere before. I remember now. They were some of the workmen
of the shell-shops, and one was a foreman. The plot was hatched by
Schenk, not a doubt of it."

"Not a shadow of a doubt. The whole business is as plain as a pikestaff.
But who would have dreamed of such devilish forethought? He must have
been planning it for years!"

"Yes, he has been my father's right-hand man for nine or ten years at
least. He must have come for no other purpose--and my father never knew
it! How glad I am my mother is out of it all, safe and sound."

For some time the two friends discussed the great discovery in all its
bearings. Matters stood out in a fresh perspective, and one of the first
things to appear prominently was the peril in which both of them now
stood. In peril from the Germans they had known they stood, but the
peril from Schenk was new and far greater. At any moment he might come
to the conclusion that their continued presence about the works or in
the town was inconvenient, and denounce them as hostile to the
occupation. In fact--and a bitter realization it was--they were only
saved from this by the manager's contempt of them as adversaries and his
calm assurance that they were really not worth considering one way or
the other.

"Well, Max," said Dale at last, "what line are we now going to take? It
is time we made up our minds once and for all. We are clearly outclassed
by this Schenk--he holds all the cards--and the best thing we can do is
to make tracks to join the Belgian army before it is too late to get
away."

"Yes, Dale, that is the best thing--for you. Only _I_ cannot come with
you. You go and join the British army. My place is here more than ever,
and leave it I will not."

"Come now, Max, don't be obstinate! There is nothing to be done here.
You are absolutely helpless pitted against Schenk and his friends the
Germans. You must recognize it. Come with me and we will see what we can
do for the good cause elsewhere."

Max shook his head decidedly. His face was very downcast, and it was
clear to his friend that he felt most keenly the way in which his
father's name and resources had been exploited by the enemies of their
country; but his lips were firmly set, and in his eyes was the steady
look Dale remembered so well during the dark days of the struggle for
Benson's. Benson's! The recollection brought back again to Dale the
words spoken by the master at the close of the