on when
I asked him if he had any enemies?"

"By George! I did. He couldn't answer. I'll bet he knows more about the
man that fired that shot at you than he is willing to admit."

"It looks like it," Hal agreed. "From his actions, I would judge that the
shot was meant for him."

"Exactly," said Chester, "and he knows who it was that fired it."

"Well, there is no use talking about it," declared Hal. "We can't
possibly figure it out ourselves. One thing, though, we shall have to be
on our guard. The unknown enemy may not know that Stubbs has moved and
may try again."

"Right," said Chester. "We'll have to sleep with one eye open."

"Oh, we're safe enough to-night," said Hal. "He'll figure we'll be on the
watch and will postpone his next visit for a day or two. By the way, old
man, how do you feel?"

"First rate. I'll be as good as new in the morning."

"I hope so. In that event we had better get a little sleep."

"Then you don't think it necessary for one of us to stand watch?"

"No; here goes for bed."

CHAPTER IX

IN THE TRENCHES

In some manner, known only to himself, Anthony Stubbs, war correspondent
of the New York _Gazette_, had ingratiated himself with General Petain,
the French commander at Verdun. General Petain, upon Stubbs' request,
agreed that the little war correspondent should be allowed to make a tour
of the city of Verdun and the surrounding fortifications and view for
himself the effects of the siege thus far.

An officer of the general staff was assigned by the French commander to
show Stubbs about. It was the first time a war correspondent had been
admitted to Verdun and the surrounding fortifications; and because of the
things that Stubbs learned on the tour, it is fitting that the reader
take the trip with him.

The officer first led Stubbs to the highest point on the walls encircling
Verdun and there explained the lay-out of the contending forces. From
this point of vantage, commanding the battlefield, Verdun looked like the
center of a huge saucer, with the town lying very low, while all around
rose an even circle of crests forming the outer edge of the saucer.

The dangerous proximity of the Germans was apparent. At the time that
Stubbs viewed the battlefield the armies of the Kaiser held a goodly
portion of these crests, though the battle of Verdun was less than two
weeks old.

An intermittent bombardment was in progress from Fort Tavennes, Fort
Soueville, Fort St. M