is prisoners, the
latter never once looking behind them, but walking with their hands
high in the air.

And the little scientist was as unconcerned as though he was on his
return from some insect-hunting trip. His appearance was a bit
unusual, though, and Ned commented on it.

"What's that thing on his back?" asked the stout lad.

"Looks like a magnified haversack of new design," replied Ned.

"The professor hasn't enlisted, has he?" some one asked Jerry. "Not
but what he'd make a fine soldier," was the added comment.

"No, I can't imagine what he has on," Jerry answered. "We'll soon find
out, though."

On came the professor, and when he had his prisoners at the edge of
the first American trench he exclaimed, with a twinkle in his eyes:

"Here you are! Make yourselves at home! Will some one please take
charge of--er--these--specimens?" asked the little scientist, and
again his eyes twinkled as he looked at the lieutenant who was in
command just then.

"Great guns, man alive! Did you go out to get them?" asked the
officer.

"Well, not exactly," was the reply. "These men tried to interfere with
me in my work, and I simply told them to mind their own business and
get out of the way. Bringing them over here seemed the easiest way to
get rid of them, so I marched them along. Now I will go back and
finish----"

"Oh, no! Excuse me for seeming to be brusk and arbitrary," said the
lieutenant smiling, "but I can't permit you to go back. For our own
sake, as well as yours. You might precipitate a general engagement,
and while we're not running away from anything like that, we are not
looking for it just now. Please stay here."

"Very well, I will," mildly agreed the professor. "Perhaps I can as
well continue my studies here. But what shall I do with my--my
specimens?" and he nodded toward the Germans.

The prisoners were still standing with uplifted hands, gazing at the
professor as if the issue of life and death depended on him as far as
they were concerned.

"Tell them they may put down their hands," begged the professor of the
lieutenant. "They're in your charge now, and you had better give them
orders. Besides, I don't speak their language very well."

"Then how in the world did you get them to surrender?" asked the
officer. "How did you, alone, without a gun or a sword, or even a hand
grenade, capture three Germans?"

"Well, I fancy it was due to this," and the professor motioned to the
strange contrivanc