hes to speak to you."

The captain was the official who had their affair in charge, and who had
been so courteous to them.

"He wants us to wait!" exclaimed Joe, with marked enthusiasm. For the
last few days the captain had merely sent out word that there was no
news.

"Maybe he has the papers!" cried Macaroni.

"I'm sure I hope so," murmured Blake.

The boys waited in the outer office with manifest impatience until the
clerk came to summon them into the presence of Captain Bedell, saying:

"This way, if you please."

"Sounds almost like a dentist inviting you into his chair," murmured Joe
to Blake.

"Not as bad as that, I hope. It looks encouraging to be told to wait and
come in."

They were ushered into the presence of Captain Bedell, who greeted them,
not with a smile, as he had always done before, but with a grave face.

Instantly each of the boys, as he admitted afterward, thought something
was wrong.

"There's something out of the way with our passports," was Joe's idea.

"Been a big battle and the British have lost," guessed Macaroni.

Blake's surmise was:

"There's a hitch and we can't go to the front."

As it happened, all three were wrong, for a moment later, after he had
asked them to be seated, Captain Bedell touched a bell on his desk. An
orderly answered and he was told:

"These are the young gentlemen."

"Does that mean we are to get our permits?" asked Joe eagerly.

"I am sorry to say it does not," was the grave answer. "I am also sorry
to inform you that you are in custody."

"In custody!" cried the three at once. And Blake a moment later added:

"On what grounds?"

"That I am not at liberty to tell you, exactly," the officer replied.
"You are arrested under the Defense of the Realm Act, and the charges
will be made known to you in due course of time."

"Arrested!" cried Joe. "Are we really arrested?"

"Not as civil but as military prisoners," went on Captain Bedell. "There
is quite a difference, I assure you. I am sorry, but I have to do my
duty. Orderly, take the prisoners away. You may send for counsel, of
course," he added.

"We don't know a soul here, except some moving picture people to whom we
have letters of introduction," Blake said despondently.

"Well, communicate with some of them," advised the captain. "They will
be able to recommend a solicitor. Not that it will do you much good, for
you will have to remain in custody for some time, anyhow."

"Are we suspe