nothing that is French made to comfort
their enemies."

Tom nodded his head in assent.

"Do you know this Lorrainer told me that had already been arranged," he
hastened to say. "He himself had been one of a party of engineers to
plant terrible mines secretly in certain places under the walls, so the
whole building could be blown up in a flash. But that cunning old fox
managed it so that no one but himself knows how to start things moving."

"Why should he do a thing like that?" asked the puzzled Harry.

"Oh, it seems that a good many of the Boche soldiers have no particular
love for General von Berthold," Tom answered briskly, as though he had
anticipated that very question and was prepared to meet it.

"I see. He's afraid that if they chanced to know the combination,"
chuckled Harry Leroy, "they might be tempted some fine night, when he
was asleep in his featherbed, to give him a rise in the world, since no
one would be any the wiser. Yes, he's a sharp old duck, believe me!"

"I wonder," remarked Tom, "if he could have taken little Helene to that
chateau and is waiting for a chance to send her on to Munich, or some
other German capital."

"Do you know, I've got a big hunch that way, Tom!" Jack exclaimed. "And
I mean, for one, to take the very first chance that comes along to run
over back of the Hun lines so as to find if I can the chateau."

"Sainte Mershon, I learned the place is called," said Tom. "And I'll do
the same, boy."

"You said it was located on a height, so that it commanded an extensive
view, didn't you?"

"Yes, that's what the prisoner told me. Said it looked very much like a
lot of castles he knew about along the Rhine. We've all seen pictures of
those, so it's easy to guess what they resemble. But he also said the
building had been twice dynamited, though only one section was in
ruins."

"If either of us is lucky enough to make a find, remember, Tom, nothing
must be done until we've had a chance to talk matters over."

"Oh, sure thing," affirmed Tom. "I wouldn't dream of trying to cut in
and steal your thunder Jack. Jeanne is your find, and we're pals in this
game, as we've always been since we were kids together in the U. S. A.
When the hour strikes for General von Berthold to have uninvited guests
drop down on him from the skies, we'll be in cahoots, as usual. And you
may lead off."

Jack looked relieved. Apparently he had begun to suspect dimly that his
ambitious chum might have thou