The little war correspondent made his decision.

"I'll go," he said quietly.

CHAPTER XXIII

FLYING

"You know I don't think much of these contraptions," said Stubbs.

With Hal and Chester he was flying aloft in a large army biplane. The little war correspondent had climbed into the machine with the same trepidation he always manifested when about to ascend into the air, but he had not spoken until the machine was a full half mile aloft and Hal had sent it moving swiftly toward the distant German lines.

"Just sit tight and you will be all right," Chester replied.

"Never fear, I'll sit tight," returned Stubbs and became silent.

It was very dark aloft. Because he feared he might encounter an air craft of the enemy, Hal had not turned on the searchlight with which the machine was equipped. He had taken his bearings before making a start and was now trusting to his judgment of distances to guide him to the spot he had selected to return to the ground.

This point, which Hal and Chester had decided upon after some deliberation, was well behind the most advanced German lines. According to Hal's calculations, it was possible that at the place selected there would be few German troops. He had figured to descend between the German lines. Under the cover of darkness he felt there was little to fear should they avoid all enemy aircraft.

Accordingly, it was about an hour later when Hal reduced the speed of the biplane and then shut off the motor altogether. A moment later the machine began to glide slowly to earth.

Chester, peering over the side of the aeroplane, was the first to see the ground below.

"Land below!" he called to Hal.

"Anything in sight?" asked Hal.

"Not a thing. Coast seems to be perfectly clear. Trees near, too; so we can hide the plane, if you go almost straight down."

Hal followed directions and a moment later the biplane came to rest upon the ground as lightly as a bird.

Hal, Chester and Stubbs climbed out quickly.

"Guess we had better run the machine back among the trees," said Hal.

"Lend me a hand here."

It was the work of but a few moments. Hal walked some distance away and surveyed the spot where the machine had been rolled. He walked around it on all sides.

"O.K.," he said. "You wouldn't know it was there unless you happened to be looking for it."

"Well, what now?" asked Chester.

"Guess we had better don those German uniforms and prowl about a bit."

"Snoop, eh," said Stubbs.

"Now look here, Stubbs," said Hal, "you just keep quiet and get into this uniform we brought along for you."

Mumbling to himself, Stubbs obeyed.

Arrayed in the German uniforms--the attire of lieutenants--the three advanced toward where they felt sure the main German entrenchments must be. Hal glanced at his watch in the moonlight.

"Ten o'clock," he said. "Within three hours we should have learned all we need to. As soon as we reach the German lines we shall separate. We'll meet here again at two o'clock. Is that satisfactory?"

"Suits me," said Chester.

"Want to lose me, do you?" grumbled Stubbs. "Never mind, though. I'll be here by the time you are."

"Pick up every sc.r.a.p of information possible," Hal enjoined his companions. "Don't take the trouble to write it down. Just impress it on your memory."

The others nodded their understanding.

The three came now upon a light in the distance.

"Germans ahead, I guess," Chester whispered. "Careful and let all further conversation be in German."

The lad was right. Advancing two hundred yards farther, the three friends came upon the outlying sections of the big German camp. Sentinels moved about in the darkness, their forms lighted up now and then by the flare of campfires--for the night was very cold.

Once they were challenged by a sentry, but when the man looked at their uniforms in the moonlight, he lowered his rifle and pa.s.sed on.

"I'll go straight ahead," said Chester in a low voice. "Hal, you go north and let Stubbs go south."

And thus it was arranged without further talk. The three friends separated.

Walking between the rows of German tents, Chester, after perhaps half an hour, was arrested by the sound of voices in a tent that seemed, in the darkness, to be much larger than the ones which surrounded it. He paused and listened attentively.

"Then everything is in readiness," came a voice.

"Everything. When the French see that we have weakened our lines on the left wing, they naturally will press forward in ma.s.ses. The pressure on the right wing probably will be lessened. Also in the center. General Petain, in all probabilities, will seek to take advantage of what he will believe is our carelessness."

"And then?" asked the first voice.

"Why, then we shall push forward in the center and on the right, leaving enough men on the left to make a show of force. Taken at a disadvantage, the French will be cut off on our left, and our center, sweeping around, suddenly, will envelop them. As I estimate it, the French wing, which will be thus enveloped, will be 100,000 strong. It will be a telling blow."

Chester, while this conversation was in progress, had shrunk close up against the tent. Now, thinking to gain a view of the occupants, he drew his knife from his pocket and made a little slit in the canvas.

To this opening he applied his eye; and then gave an exclamation under his breath.

In the center of the group of officers in the tent was none other than the German Crown Prince, the directing head of the German attack on Verdun, and son of the Emperor himself.

The conversation continued and the lad stored up mentally the knowledge he gained by listening to the conversation.

The gathering within now seemed about to break up; but Chester delayed in his precarious position, thinking to gather every possible iota of information. And this almost proved his undoing.

Although Chester did not know it, one of the German officers had, for some moments, been gazing at the little slit in the tent made by the point of Chester's knife. Now, with a murmured apology to the other officers, he strode from the tent. Chester still had his eyes glued to the opening and did not hear soft footsteps behind him.