t of the monoplane and set out across the field with
the corporal.

"We'll wait right here for you, Jacques," called Leon, as he and Earl
also stepped out of the machine and began to stretch their legs.

"Anglais?" queried one of the soldiers, hearing Leon speak in English.

"Americain," smiled Leon.

"_Bon_," exclaimed the man. "_Parlez-vous Francais_? _Je ne parle pas
l'Anglaise_." (Good. Do you speak French? I do not speak English.)

"_Un peu_" (a little), said Leon and he and his brother did their best
to carry on a conversation in French with their new friends.

It seemed that there had been spirited fighting for the last week along
that portion of the front. The men were of the opinion that the
attacks and counter-attacks thus far had been in the nature of feelers
and that both sides were searching for a weak spot in their opponent's
line. They all seemed to feel that a general offensive was about to be
undertaken and every man was convinced that the dispatches the three
young friends had brought were in some way connected with this movement.

The sun was warm in the field and the twin brothers spent a most
enjoyable hour talking with their new comrades. Like all the French
troops they were talkative, enthusiastic and hospitable. They were
eager for news; they were certain that France and her allies would be
victorious; they also brought hot coffee and sweet chocolate for the
young Americans. They were delighted to think that people from a land
so distant should think enough of France to fight for her in her
struggle for freedom and justice.

Leon and Earl were particularly interested to learn that large forces
of Russian troops were now fighting side by side with their allies on
the western front. They had not heard that there were Russian soldiers
in France, although such reports had often been freely circulated. A
soldier knows little about the war in which he fights; he sees what
takes place on the ground in the immediate vicinity of the place where
he is located but the general outcome or fortunes of battles he knows
nothing about. People at home or in neutral countries know much more
about the actual trend of the war than does the soldier who fights its
battles.

Finally Jacques went back to the monoplane and preparations for an
immediate return were made.

"All ready to go back?" he inquired cheerily.

"Yes," said Leon. "Did you deliver your dispatches all right?"

"Yes, indeed,