est indefinitely."

"Lieutenant Hollsein, I shall leave this man in your charge. See that he
is returned to his regiment immediately."

Chester breathed a sigh of relief. He realized that he was still in a
perilous situation, for when he should be taken to the commander of the
Fortieth Hussars, his deception must be learned. But at least it gave him
more time.

But Chester's sigh of relief came too soon.

"Hold on!" said one of the German officers. "This man is no German!"

CHAPTER XXIV

STUBBS AS A STRATEGIST

Anthony Stubbs, after leaving Hal and Chester, pushed off to the south
slowly, absolutely unconscious of the adventures that were to come his
way. Mindful of the fact that there was a certain degree of safety in the
German uniform he wore, and rather proud of himself thus attired, Stubbs
walked on more boldly than he would have done otherwise.

And thus it was that, without warning, he walked suddenly into the midst
of a group of German officers who sat about a campfire a short distance
from where he had left his two young friends.

Stubbs pulled up suddenly and would have drawn back had not one of the
German officers sprung suddenly to his feet.

"Here, Hans, is another man now!" exclaimed the officer. "A moment ago
you were bemoaning the fact that there was not another man to take a hand
in a game of cards. Here is one come in answer to your prayers."

Two other German officers sprang to their feet.

"Four of us; that's enough," said one. He turned to Stubbs. "What
do you say?"

"Say to what?" asked Stubbs, bravely.

"A game of cards."

"What kind of a game of cards?"

"An American game," was the reply. "Hans learned it when he was in the
United States and has taught us something about it. It's called poker."

"I've played it," said Stubbs.

"Good! Then you will join us?"

"I should be elsewhere," said Stubbs, hesitatingly.

Be it known that Anthony Stubbs, war correspondent of the New York
_Gazette_, had, in his day, liked to play a game of poker, whether it was
right or whether it was wrong. Even to this day the lure of the game
held, and in spite of the danger such a game entailed, Stubbs was not
loath to play. Besides, the little man bethought himself that while the
game was in progress he might learn something of value, so he said:

"All right. I'll play."

The man called Hans now sprang to his feet.

"I want to warn you," he said, "that I am extremely lucky at this gam