Stubbs became more serious at once; for before he had not realized that Chester was in any immediate danger.

"As serious as all that?" he questioned. "Tell me about it. What have you fellows been up to?"

Rapidly Hal laid the facts before him.

"H-m-m," muttered Stubbs, when the lad concluded. "Chester certainly has got himself into a mess. And Anderson is with him, eh? Well, we will have to do something--and that at once."

"Yes; but what?" demanded Hal anxiously.

"Well, now, that's the question, but you'll have to give me time. I'll find a way. A newspaper man always finds a way."

Hal felt a little relieved. He couldn't see that there was the slightest chance to be of a.s.sistance to his chum, but the little war correspondent's words cheered him.

"Yep, you'll have to give me a little time," said Stubbs. "Now you wait here until I come back, and if I don't come back with a first cla.s.s plan I hope to never write another story for the _Gazette_."

He walked rapidly away, leaving Hal alone with his thoughts. Fifteen minutes later the little man returned.

"All right," he said. "Let's go."

"Go?" exclaimed Hal. "Go where?"

"Why, go and get Chester and Anderson out of the hole. Are you ready?"

"Oh, I'm ready enough," replied Hal, as he fell in step and hurried along beside Stubbs, "but tell me--"

"Now hold on there," interrupted Stubbs. "I'll tell you, but I am a-going to do it in my own way. Don't hurry me."

Hal made no reply, and after a few moments the war correspondent continued:

"Yep, we'll get 'em all right--that is, if the Austrians don't beat us to it. Sure we'll get 'em."

He grew silent again, and although Hal could hardly restrain his impatience, he pressed his lips close together and said nothing. Stubbs gazed at him and smiled.

"You'll do," he said. "Now that you have managed to get a tight rein on your impatience I'll tell you. In the first place, we'll have to hurry; but first we'll turn in here a minute."

He turned abruptly to the right, and a moment later led the way into his own temporary quarters.

"My diggings, as the British say," he declared with a wave of his hands.

"I'll have you fixed up in a minute."

"Fixed up?" questioned Hal.

"Sure. You didn't expect to go back to the Austrian side looking like that, did you? They'd nab you in a minute."

He rummaged among some things in a corner, and directly produced an extra suit of clothes.

"Climb into these," he ordered.

Hal did as commanded and awaited further instructions.

Stubbs opened a little box, which gave forth a peculiar smell and had a queer blackish appearance. Stubbs dipped his fingers in the box, and then pa.s.sed them over Hal's face.

"Lucky I had a little experience in the art of stagecraft," he remarked as he continued the operation.

He stepped back and surveyed Hal critically.

"There," he exclaimed. "Your own mother wouldn't know you. You look all of ten years older. Got your guns?"

Hal picked them up from where he had thrown them when he had changed clothes.

"All ready," he said quietly.

"Wait till I fix myself up a little," said Stubbs. "You must remember I was within the Austrian lines not so long ago myself. They may be looking for me, too."

He again delved into the little box, and Hal, as he watched, was surprised at the change in the appearance of the man. He, too, seemed to have aged greatly, and he bore slight resemblance to the old Stubbs.

"All ready to move now," he said at last.

He led the way from his quarters, and perhaps a hundred yards away, indicated a pair of horses.

"Ours--for the journey," he said.

A moment later both were in the saddle and were riding toward the front.

"Now," said Stubbs, "I'll resume my little talk."

"One minute," broke in Hal. "How do you figure we are going to be allowed the freedom of the Austrian camp? What'll they do with us when we get there?"

"True," said Stubbs. He reached in his pocket and produced two papers, one of which he pa.s.sed to Hal. "This may help a little," he explained.

Hal looked at the paper. He found it was made out in the name of John Lawrence and that it purported to be an identification of John Lawrence as an accredited correspondent of the New York _Gazette_.

"I've got two or three more back there," said Stubbs, waving an arm in the general direction of his quarters. "They have often come in handy."

"I see," said Hal. "Then these papers are what you are figuring on to gain us the freedom of the Austrian lines."

"Freedom to a certain extent, yes," replied Stubbs. "Now for the other part of my plan. To be perfectly frank, you know just as much about it as I do. I have no plan beside getting in the Austrian lines. Events must shape themselves after that."

"But do you suppose these papers will satisfy the Austrian commander?"

"They will after I have talked to him for five minutes."

"I hope so," said Hal.

They had now pa.s.sed the Italian outposts, unmolested, and rode across the open toward the Austrian lines. Some time later they were halted by an Austrian sentinel.

"Take us to the general," commanded Stubbs.