morning."

CHAPTER XX

UNDER ARREST

It was morning. Hal and Chester, refreshed by a good night's rest, had
just completed their toilets and were about to repair to the quarters of
General Petain, there to report for the day's duty and also to inform the
French commander of what they had learned the night before. But, as it
transpired, their good intentions were to go for naught and they were to
be ushered into the presence of General Petain in a manner that neither
would have believed possible.

Came the sound of many footsteps approaching without. They stopped before
the boys' tent. A French officer thrust his head in the entrance.

"Lieutenant Crawford! Lieutenant Paine!" he said sharply.

"Sir!" exclaimed both lads in a single breath.

They stepped from the tent.

"You are under arrest!" were the French officer's next words.

Hal and Chester stepped back in complete bewilderment.

"Wha--what's that, sir?" asked Hal, believing that he could not have
heard aright.

"You are under arrest," was the sharp reply. "I am ordered to conduct you
before General Petain at once."

Both lads had recovered themselves by this time; they stepped forward
coolly enough, in spite of the fact that their hearts were fluttering
strangely.

"The general might have spared himself the trouble of sending for us,"
said Hal, quietly. "Even now we were about to report to him."

The French officer said nothing. He motioned to the file of soldiers whom
he commanded and Hal and Chester stepped in between the men.

"One moment," said the French soldier.

He approached the lads.

"I must ask for your swords and revolvers," he said.

Without a word the lads surrendered their weapons.

"Good!" said the French officer. Then to his men: "Forward, march!"

And in this manner Hal and Chester came before the French commander at
Verdun. The latter was busy with a pile of papers when they entered his
quarters and did not look up immediately. For perhaps fifteen minutes the
lads stood there, firmly erect, their eyes upon the general.

Suddenly General Petain wheeled about.

"Leave these men with me," he instructed the French officer who
had escorted the lads to his tent; "but attend me outside within
call, Captain."

The French officer saluted and withdrew.

General Petain gazed frowningly at Hal and Chester for perhaps a full
minute. The lads returned his look without flinching, though there was
nothing that might be co