e on his back. "I threatened them with total
annihilation if they didn't do as I said and march for these trenches,
and they did. Whether they understood me or not I don't know. But up
went their hands and on they came."

"Yes, they came on all right," said the lieutenant. "We saw that. But
still I don't understand."

At this one of the prisoners spoke.

"Haf ve der lieutnant's bermission to lower our hants?" he asked,
speaking with a deep, guttural accent.

"Yes," said the officer curtly. "But first we'll search you. Go
through them," he ordered one of his men, and when an automatic pistol
and several hand grenades had been taken from each of the prisoners,
their hands were allowed to come down. They uttered sighs of relief.

"Now, how did it happen?" went on the officer.

"Ve surrender to suberior force, und dot iss no disgrace," said the
German soldier who had first spoken. "Ven ve saw der little man ve try
to capture him. But he turned on us, und by der--vot you call
machine--on his back mit total destruction threatened us. As ve did
not vant to die--vell, ve surrendered. Dot's all!"

"_Ja!_" murmured his two companions.

"Yes, I guess that is all," said the lieutenant, smiling grimly. "Take
'em to the rear, to the temporary prisoner-cage," he ordered one of
his men. And then, when the Germans, with a last wondering and fearful
look at the professor, had gone, the lieutenant, turning to the
scientist, asked with a smile:

"What sort of infernal machine have you there, anyhow? Does it
generate a new kind of gas?"

The professor laughed and unslung the apparatus from his back, where
it was carried by means of straps, like those on a haversack.

"No, it isn't a gas machine," he said. "It's just a little apparatus
for taking moving pictures of insects. It's as harmless as the
chocolate sodas my friend Bob likes so well. I got it up to take views
of grasshoppers and crickets, and I wanted to get some pictures this
morning of those insects showing them as they hopped about normally.
Then, later, I intended to set the machine out in the open space, and
leave it there when heavy firing was going on. I hoped to get
contrasting pictures then, and show the effect, if any, of the sound
of big guns on the creatures. But those Germans spoiled my plans."

"And I fancy you spoiled theirs," said the lieutenant with a laugh.
"So you threatened them with your moving-picture machine, did you?"

"Yes, I couldn't think of