“ A moment later American batteries behind them began sending over reprisal fire. The 75's passing over their heads whined savagely, but not so savagely as those boche shells coming in.
(It is a well-known fact that a shell going out has a different whine than a shell coming in, also a different effect on one's nerves.)
Twenty-five minutes is a long time when a man is hiding from death. To know that in twenty-five minutes, providing you are alive at the end of that time, death's shadow will have ceased to follow in your footsteps, is a great inducement to live.
Hal and Chester found it so. ”

“ The German emperor appeared surprised.
"Explain, sir," he said briefly.
Again General Ludendorff bowed.
"Well, your majesty," he said, "it must be plain to you that the war is lost to German arms."
"Not at all," said the kaiser. "I still have millions of men in the field, and there are others who yet may take up arms."
"Very true," said General Ludendorff, "they may be able to take up arms if they will. The trouble is, your majesty, that they probably will decline longer to wage a losing fight." ”

“ No, Chester, take my word for it, there is nothing to your news. Even if the Austrians have made such overtures, you may be sure there is a trick in it some place."
"By Jove! You're an optimistic sort, aren't you?" said Chester.
"Well," said Hal. "I'm not quite as credulous as you seem to be. Besides, why should Austria sue for peace now? It's true that she is getting the worst of the argument, as is Germany; but to my mind she is a long way from being compelled to throw up the sponge. Then, too, she wouldn't have the nerve to leave Germany in the lurch." ”

“ Everywhere, where there was fighting, the advantage rested with the allies. No longer did the Germans dash to the attack with the impetuosity that characterized their attacks in the early dawn of the war. Their morale had been broken.
Even the crack Prussian Guards, the flower of the German army, had been decisively beaten by the Americans at Chateau-Thierry. Hurled into the battle at the last moment in an attempt to stem the advance of American soldiers and marines, they had proved unequal to the task. The Yankees had proved their masters at every turn. ”

“ No; if the war were to end now, Germany is victorious."
"Good!" said General Knoff. "I like that talk, for it is becoming rare these days. These light reverses you speak of seem to have affected others more strongly—to have shaken their confidence. However, it is well that our foes think the slight difference of opinion between his majesty and the emperor of Austria may result in a complete breach; yes, it is well."
"You mean, your excellency," said Hal, taking another long chance, "that such rumors have been circulated intentionally—that the enemy may be taken off their guard?" ”

“ Hal and Chester saluted and took their departure.
"Rather a ticklish piece of work, if you ask me," was Chester's comment as they made their way back to their own quarters.
"Right you are," Hal agreed, "but the harder the job the more satisfaction when you have accomplished it successfully."
"What would you suggest?" asked Chester. "Shall we keep on our own uniforms or shall we disguise ourselves as Germans?"
"We'll keep our own," said Hal. "There is no use risking being caught as a spy unless absolutely necessary. If we're captured in American uniforms they'll make us prisoners of war. ”

“ He said that the success of the campaign against Sedan depended upon you doing your part."
"Well, I'll do it, never fear," said General Lejeune. "I've got one of the best fighting units in France, and there's not a man in it who's not dead anxious to get another chance at the Huns. You may take back word to General Rhodes for me, that I shall act in accordance with his wishes."
"If it is all the same to you, sir," said Chester with a slight smile, "we're not going back—not, at least, until the battle of Sedan is over." ”

“ It might bring a firing squad, and I have no particular fondness for firing squads."
"All the same," said Chester, "you couldn't stand by and see a boor of a Dutchman pick on a couple of helpless women."
"Careful on that Dutchman stuff, Chester," Stubbs cautioned. "Remember the Hollander has no more use for a German than you have."
"Well, all right," returned Chester sulkily, "but Hal always starts picking on me if I look at a girl."
"It's no time to be looking at girls when you are on business," declared Hal grimly. "You're altogether too susceptible to the charms of the fairer sex, Chester." ”

“ I don't believe there will ever be another war."
"Oh, I wouldn't go as far as to say that," said Chester. "I suppose that as long as there are nations, and men think as they do now there will be war. Of course, some day nations will come to observe the Golden Rule, and then wars will cease."
"I heard Colonel O'Neil say the other day," said Hal, "that wars will cease only when men quit thinking war."
"A very apt remark, by Jove!" said Chester.
Further conversation was prevented by the entrance of half a dozen figures, one of them the German delegate who had left the tent a few moments before. ”

“ Bulgaria, out of the war, as she has been for several weeks, it became apparent that Germany's other two allies would soon leave her in the lurch. Now Turkey doesn't matter so much, although with the Ottomans out of the war the strain on the allies will be lessened considerably. But with Austria—the kaiser's most important and powerful ally, ready to quit—the moment seems auspicious. Now, I wanted to be on the ground floor when the news broke. That's why I took a chance and sneaked through the German lines; that's why I'm here.
"That's why we're here, too," said Hal quietly. ”

“ Of course, it will be weeks and perhaps months after the armistice goes into effect before peace is signed, but I guess there will be no more fighting."
"I hope not," said Chester. "It's true enough that we've had a good time in Europe, such as it is, but how much better it will be when men turn their energies to up-building instead of destroying."
"True," agreed Hal, "and yet we know that until German militarism was destroyed, nothing was safe in this world. The war has been a benefit to mankind." ”

“ As there was an end to the great world war, so there must be an end to all things—even to Hal Paine and Chester Crawford. So, seated comfortably about a table in the temporary home of General Knoff, once a general of the kaiser, we shall take our leave of them, knowing that, in due course of time, they will return to their homes in America, where they will live the lives of useful citizens. ”

“ Stubbs wanted to know.
"Not much," was Hal's reply. "Perhaps a mile, Mr. Stubbs."
"Not far, eh?" said Stubbs with some sarcasm. "I hope you don't call that close."
"It's likely to be a whole lot farther to our lines than we have figured, if the plane is gone," Chester put in.
"And I'm willing to bet it'll be gone," declared Stubbs.
"There you go, Mr. Stubbs," said Hal. "Nobody could ever truthfully call you an optimist."
"I've lived too long and seen too much to be an optimist," was the little man's response. "Now, who wants to bet we won't have to hoof it back to the American lines?" ”

“ The two lads left their colonel and hurried towards Major Lawrence's detachment, at the extreme front.
"Well," said Chester as they hurried along, "looks like our fighting days are over."
"It certainly does," Hal agreed, "but you never can tell, you know."
"True enough. It's as likely as not that one of us may fall yet before the war ends."
"I guess not," Hal said. "We've gone through four years of it now. I've begun to believe we bear charmed lives." ”

“ I said: 'If the German general staff desires to ask an armistice on the western front, the allied forces will respect a flag of truce.'"
"And that is all, general?"
"That is all, sir. It was plain enough. The enemy knows now that he need attempt to gain no delay by subterfuge. If he is sincere in his appeal, a flag of truce will be sent from the German lines."
"Exactly," said Marshal Foch. "In the meantime, general, I shall order an attack in force along the whole front."
"I shall report to you the moment there are developments," said General Marcel. ”

“ The sky line of the crest ahead of the American troops grew suddenly populous with dancing soldiers, and, down the slope, all the way to the barbed wire entanglements, straight for the Yankees, came the German troops. ”

“ Where have you been?"
"Well, Colonel," said Hal briefly, "we saw the armistice signed."
"You don't mean it," was the colonel's ejaculation. "You were certainly confounded lucky. It's an event I would like to have seen myself. You must feel pretty important, eh?"
"Not so important that we cannot do a little more before the war ends," Chester said quietly.
"There is still work to be done," returned Colonel O'Neil quietly. "Hear the firing?"
The lads did not need to strain their ears to hear the distant rumble of big guns and the sharp crack of infantry firing, nearer at hand. ”

“ Hal asked of the mayor.
"None," was the reply.
"Then we must report to him in Soissons," declared Chester. "We may not return to our own command without his permission, Hal."
"Right you are, Chester. Well, as long as we have this plane at our disposal, we shall continue to Soissons in it, if our good mayor here has no objections."
"None, sir," said the burgess of Hirson. "I am proud to be honored, as is every one of my fellow citizens. This has been a great event for Hirson."
"And for the world," said Hal briefly.
"Very true, sir," replied the burgess; "and for the world. ”

“ For perhaps fifteen minutes the fighting was fast and furious. In vain the Germans tried to stem the tide in khaki that rushed forward against them. General Schindler further weakened his center to rush reinforcements in order to retain the wedge intact.
But it was no use. The Americans were not to be denied. They fought with the courage and desperation of lions. Little heed did they pay to the hail of machine-gun bullets that swept them as they advanced. Artillery and explosive shells failed to stop them. Rifle fire was no more effective. ”

“ The allied airplane, caught thus between two fires, was in a dangerous predicament.
"Climb in here, sir," said Hal to General Herwigs, "and we will make our escape while we may."
But Chancellor Ebert stayed the departure.
"A moment," he said. "I cannot fly while Germans, through a misunderstanding, are at each other's throats."
"But we must go, sir," said General Herwigs. "Time is growing short. Marshal Foch said that if we had not returned in twenty-four hours negotiations would be considered suspended. We have little time now, sir. Haste is necessary." ”

“ Hal and Chester obeyed and the sentinel scanned them closely.
"You look all right," he growled at last, "but I'm not sure of you."
"Do you think we'd be coming in here if we didn't belong?" demanded Chester.
"I don't know about that; but I can't see any good reason why you should be prowling around out in No Man's Land if you are not bent on mischief."
"Don't be absurd, man," said Hal. "We come from General Rhodes with a message for General Lejeune."
"A likely story," said the sentry. "How'd you get through the Germans?"
"Walking and running," said Chester. ”

“ Putting forth all his strength, Hal heaved mightily, and drew his chum to the top of the embankment with him. There he released him and drew his revolvers again.
Came a cry of rage from inside the trench as the Germans saw their prey about to escape. Two men dropped on their knees and sighted their rifles carefully.
But before they could fire Hal had accounted for one and Chester for the other.
Again a howl of rage went up from the German trench.
"Kill them! Kill them!" screamed the German colonel. "What a lot of dunderheads! Can't you shoot?" ”

“ Hastily machine guns were wheeled into position, and a veritable rain of bullets swept the ranks of the charging columns in khaki.
But the Americans did not falter. These men of the Forty-second division upheld the traditions of the American army. True, they had been under fire before and it was not to be expected that they would falter; but well might a man have faltered in the face of the terrible fire poured in upon them. Each man bent to his work with a determination that boded ill for the foe. ”

“ A chair scraped the floor and a man sprang up and confronted them. Hal and Chester looked into the eyes of General Knoff, the German general whose daughter Chester had befriended in Sedan some weeks before.
"So," said the general confronting the lads with a gleam of anger in his eyes, but his gaze resting particularly upon Hal, "so you made fools of me in Sedan, eh?"
Hal smiled. He was perfectly safe now and he knew it. Not a man there nor in the German lines any place for that matter would dare harm the officer who had piloted the German envoys back from their tryst with Marshal Foch. ”