in the trenches.

"Who took 'em?" faltered Bob.

Jerry looked about, flashed his electric pocket lamp, for the trenches
were in the shadow now. Suddenly he picked up a knife, and, as he held
it in his hand, he exclaimed:

"Noddy Nixon's! He's been up to his rotten tricks again!"

CHAPTER XXIV

"S. I. W."

There seemed no doubt on the subject, at least in the minds of the
three Motor Boys. Bob knew full well that he had left the treat of
sweet things in the hole in the wall of his trench. Now the hole was
empty, and a knife with Noddy Nixon's name on it was picked up at the
very spot. It surely indicated that Noddy had been there, and it
needed no very discerning mind, after one was acquainted with the
character of Nixon, to say that he was the guilty one.

"What'll we do?" gasped Bob.

"Let's go and accuse him and get the stuff away!" suggested Ned.
"Maybe he hasn't eaten it all yet."

"Not much chance but what he has," commented Jerry. "It wouldn't last
long with him and his crowd. Still I'm in favor of letting him know
we're on to his game. Let's go and have it out with him."

But this was not to be. Just as the three chums were about to go from
their part of the trench to that where Noddy Nixon was stationed, the
signal sounded for Ned, Bob, and Jerry to take their places on
official duty.

"Too late!" exclaimed Bob. "We can't reach him now, and he'll eat it
all up."

"The pig!" muttered Ned.

And they had to let the matter rest there. They could not ask to be
relieved from trench sentry work to go and get back, possibly,
doughnuts and chocolate stolen by Noddy Nixon. It was too trivial a
matter from a military standpoint, though to Ned, Bob, and Jerry,
forced to be on duty during the long, wet, dreary night, it meant a
great deal.

But it was another of the fortunes of war, and it had to be borne.

However, it was not as bad as it might have been, for during the night
a relief party came along with hot chocolate, and this was grateful to
the lads in the trenches.

"But I'll have it out with Noddy to-day!" declared Bob as he and his
chums went off duty in the morning. "I'll turn him upside down; that's
what I'll do!"

But again his plans went astray, for orders came from headquarters,
shifting many of the regiments, and the three friends found themselves
on the move, without a chance to see Noddy.

"But his company moves, too," declared Ned, who had made some
inquiries. "He's in the