he front where the
moving picture boys were quartered and on duty was for the soldiers to
spend five or six days in the trenches, taking turns of duty near No
Man's Land, and then going back to rest in the dug-outs. After that they
would have a day or so of real rest back of the lines, out of reach of
the big guns.

And there the real fun of soldiering, if fun it can be called amid the
grim business of war, was to be had. The officers and men vied with one
another in trying to forget the terrible scenes through which they had
gone, and little entertainments were gotten up, the moving picture boys
doing their share.

Thus they obtained views of trench life both grave and gay, though it
must be admitted that the more serious predominated. There were many
wounded, many killed, and, occasionally, one of the parties going out on
patrol or listening-duty at night would never come back, or, at most,
one or two wounded men would come in to tell of a terrific struggle with
a party of Huns.

Sometimes, though, the tale would be the other way around, and the
Americans would come in with a number of captives who showed the effects
of severe fighting.

CHAPTER XIX

GASSED

"Well, there's one thing about it," remarked Joe to Blake one day, as
they sat in the shade beside the French cottage waiting for orders.
"This isn't as nervous work as traveling on a ship, waiting for a
submarine."

It was three weeks after the first and only engagement they had taken
part in, and, meanwhile, they had filmed many more peaceful scenes of
army life on the front.

"Especially when you know there's a traitor in the cabin across the hall
that may signal any minute for you to be blown up," Blake responded to
his friend's remark. "You're right there, Joe. But how's the side?"

"Coming on all right. Hurts hardly at all now. I wonder what became of
those two fellows?"

"Which two?"

"Secor and Labenstein."

"Oh, I thought you meant those two German officers who tried to hire us
to send some word back to their folks about them."

This had been the case: In a batch of prisoners brought in after a raid
which was most successful on the part of the Americans, two captured
German officers of high rank who spoke English well had offered Blake
and Joe a large sum if they would send word of their fate and where they
were held prisoners to an address in Berlin.

But the boys would do nothing of the sort, and reported the matter to
Capta