he night. The two went
down in a heap; and Stubbs, turning a moment later, had stumbled over the
pair of struggling forms before he could check himself. In a moment he
found himself mixed up in the struggling mass.

A fist struck Stubbs squarely upon the nose.

"Hey! Quit that," said Stubbs, and struck out with his right.

This blow came almost ending the fight right there and in a manner not at
all advantageous to Stubbs and Hal. In the darkness the little war
correspondent had been unable to distinguish friend from foe and his fist
caught Hal just above the right eye.

Now Anthony Stubbs had considerable power in his right arm and for a
moment Hal was dazed by the blow. Before he could clear his head, his
opponent had struck him a heavy blow on the other side of the neck and
leaped to his feet.

At that instant Stubbs realized what he had done and a sickening
sensation struck him in the pit of the stomach; but the little man
determined to give the best that was in him to undo his work.

With an angry bellow he charged his German opponent. The latter stepped
back a pace and sought to draw his revolver, but Stubbs was too quick
for him. Almost at the moment that Stubbs crashed into his foe he
lowered his head, as would a steer, and his head caught the German in
the region of the belt.

Came a gasp from the German as he doubled up and collapsed. He rolled
over upon the ground several times in a vain attempt to gain his breath;
then lay still.

The victory was with Stubbs!

Hal had now regained consciousness and sat up just in time to see the
effect of Stubbs' charge.

"Good work, Stubbs!" the lad cried. "Now lend me a hand and we'll get
away from here!"

Stubbs did as requested and a moment later Hal was on his feet. The lad
felt the bump over his eye tenderly.

"Stubbs," he said, "it was rather dark and we were so mixed up on the
ground that I couldn't see, but I would be willing to wager a whole lot
that it wasn't a German who gave me this crack over the eye. Now was it?"

"Well," said Stubbs, "I--I--"

"Just as I thought," declared Hal. "So you tried to do me up as well as
the German, eh?"

"It was an accident," declared Stubbs. "You know I wouldn't have done it
on purpose, Hal."

"It came very near being a costly accident, Stubbs. Suppose the German
had laid you out? Then what? We would have been nabbed, sure."

"I'll be more careful next time," said Stubbs, apologetically.

"You won't have to