en more red-handed. Mock, you're loyal, and I'm
going to put your loyalty, if you consent, to a hard, bitter test."

Dick went on in an even lower tone, Mock listening in growing
astonishment, without replying a word, though he nodded
understandingly.

"So, now," Prescott wound up, "I'm going to continue into camp with
you still a prisoner and be mighty hard on you. However, I won't
hold the pistol on you any longer."

Into camp Dick marched the soldier, then over toward the buildings
of the Ninety-ninth, and thence along to the bull-pen.

"Sergeant of the guard!" Prescott called briskly, and that
non-commissioned officer appeared.

"Take charge of Private Mock as a prisoner, charged with being
absent from camp without leave or pass," Dick ordered. "I will
report my action to Captain Holmes, who will dispose of his case."

From there Dick led the horse back to B company barracks, turned
the animal over to an orderly and went into the company office,
where, as he had expected, he found Greg immersed in a grind of
paper work. For a few minutes Dick talked earnestly with his chum
in low tones, Captain Holmes frequently nodding.

"And now, I think I had better go down to the adjutant's office,
to see if he's still at his desk," Dick finished, "and, if so, make
my report."

"You'll stagger him," Greg predicted.

One of Greg's orderlies had already ridden the major's horse to
the stable, so Prescott walked briskly along the street until
he came to regimental headquarters. As he entered the adjutant's
office he found Colonel Cleaves seated on the corner of his
subordinate's desk, in low-toned conversation with his subordinate.

"Am I intruding, sir?" Dick inquired, saluting the colonel.

"No," said Colonel Cleaves. "In fact, Captain, you may as well
know the subject-matter of our conversation. Captain Prescott,
this camp would appear to be infested with German spies! This
evening sixteen men in F company were taken ill after supper.
They are now in hospital and some of them are expected to die.
The surgeons have examined some of the food left over from that
supper and report finding ground glass in some pieces of the apple
pie served as dessert. Later the captain of our machine-gun company,
which has only one machine gun so far, had the piece taken into
the company mess-room to demonstrate the mechanism to his lieutenants
so that they might instruct the men. He found the mechanism of
the piece so badly