s Lieutenant Secor who really saved them for us," explained
Blake, when the story of their adventure was being told.

"And I am glad the time has come when Lieutenant Secor can appear in his
true light," said Captain Black. "Even I suspected him, and he lost many
friends who will come back to him, now that he risked all to serve his
country in a role seldom honored--that of getting secret intelligence
from the enemy."

For that is what the French lieutenant had been doing. Even while he was
in the United States, where the boys first met him, he had been playing
that part.

"But I assure you," he said to Blake and the others, "that the
destruction of your films by my auto was an accident. When I found you
believed it done purposely I let it go that way, as it helped me play my
part the better. Also, I had to act in a manner to make you believe I
was a friend of Labenstein. But that was all a part."

And it had not been an easy part for the French officer to play. He had,
in ways of his own, come to suspect Labenstein, who went under various
names, sometimes that of Karl Kooder. This man, who held forged
citizenship papers of the United States, was a German spy and had done
much to aid the Kaiser. But he accepted Lieutenant Secor as a co-worker,
on the latter's representation that he, too, was a friend of Germany, or
rather, as the Frenchman made Labenstein think, was willing to become so
for a sum of money. So the two seemingly worked together.

"And it was thus you knew us," said the lieutenant to the boys.
"Labenstein, to use one of his names, had orders to make all the trouble
he could for you when you reached France, and to prevent your getting
any pictures, if possible. Of course he could not do that, but he tried,
even to the extent of writing a false note in London that caused your
arrest. I had, seemingly, to help him, but all the while I was
endeavoring to find out where the leak was on our side that enabled him
to profit. And I found out. The leak will be stopped.

"I even seemed to join Labenstein in signaling the submarine, though
that night, had he really succeeded in calling her with your light, I
would have killed him where he stood. However, the depth charge solved
that question.

"I had to escape from the ship with him to lull his suspicions against
me. Then I went into the German ranks with him, being thought a
deserter! That was hard for me, but I had my duty to perform.

"The rest you know. I