"I told you to let the boy alone and I meant it," said Hal quietly.

For answer the Frenchman struck at him. Hal dodged the blow and stepped
back. He would have avoided a fight if possible. But the Frenchman
stepped after him and struck again. Again Hal dodged and the blow passed
harmlessly over his head. The lad struck out quickly with his right and
caught the Frenchman a hard blow upon the side of the neck. Big man
though he was, the Frenchman toppled over. Hal walked back to where he
had left Chester, donned his coat and the two moved away.

Behind them, as the big Frenchman staggered to his feet there was a howl
of merriment. The Frenchman shook a fist angrily at Hal's back.

CHAPTER V

THE BLACK PEAS

The howling without continued when Hal and Chester reached their
own quarters.

"Well, you've made another enemy, Hal," said Chester.

"Can't help that," was his chum's reply. "It had to be done. By the way,
I wonder what's happened to Stubbs?"

"Oh, I guess he is spooking around some place. He'll turn up
before long."

The lad was right. Hal and Chester had hardly composed themselves to
sleep when the flap to the tent was lifted and Stubbs' head appeared. He
struck a match and looked at the two lads.

"Asleep?" he asked.

Neither lad was, but neither replied. They were both too sleepy to
care to enter into a conversation with Stubbs, so they maintained a
discreet silence.

"All right, then," said Stubbs, "if you're asleep I'll soon be with you."

He removed his clothing and went to bed.

Stubbs was up early the following morning and when the lads arose
entertained them with an account of his wanderings.

"And," he concluded, "I've stumbled across a story that's a wonder."

"A story?" repeated Chester.

"Yes. A 'story' is a newspaper man's way of expressing something big."

"Something to do with the battle?" asked Hal.

"It may have and it may not," declared Stubbs. "It may have something to
do with the whole war--and it may not. I don't know."

"What is it, Stubbs?" asked Chester.

Stubbs winked one eye at him.

"As I happened to stumble across this while I was snooping," he
said, "and as you don't think much of snooping, I am going to keep
this to myself."

"Come, Mr. Stubbs," said Chester, "you know I was just fooling."

"Well, I may be just fooling now, for all you know," said Stubbs.

In vain did the lads plead to know what he was talking about. Stubbs was
obdurate and t