ding officer had said. That was that
this man was, in reality, a guest of the nation. That he had come over
instructed to give as much help as he could in getting the new soldiers
in readiness to go "over the top."

"And so I guess I'd better not say what I was going to," mused Blake.
Then, to Monsieur Secor he replied:

"I'm sorry, but we're not supposed to talk about our work without the
permission of the commanding officer. You see----"

"Ah, I comprehend!" exclaimed the Frenchman, with another bow--a bow
altogether too elaborate, Joe thought. "That is as it should be! Always
obey orders. I asked, casually, as I am much interested in this motion
picture work, and I have observed some of it in my country. So it was
your films that I had the misfortune to spoil? I greatly regret it. I
suppose it made much extra work for you."

"It did, Monsieur Secor," replied Joe rather shortly. "That is the work
we are doing now."

"And if you will excuse us," went on Blake, "we shall have to leave this
place and go to the other side of the parade ground. I'm sorry we cannot
tell you more of our work, but you will have to get an order from----"

"Non! Non!" and the blue-uniformed officer broke into a torrent of rapid
French. "It does not matter in the least," he began to translate. "I
asked more out of idle curiosity than anything else. I will watch as
much of your work as is permissible for me to see. Later I shall observe
the finished films, I hope."

"If you don't bust 'em again!" murmured Macaroni, when out of the
officer's hearing. "I wouldn't trust you any too much," he added, as he
and the two chums moved away to get views of the soldiers from a
different angle.

"What's wrong between you and Monsieur Secor?" asked Joe. "I mean, aside
from his having run into you, which he claims was an accident?"

"Well, maybe it was an accident, and maybe it wasn't," said Charles.

"But that isn't all. I know you, Mac. What else do you mean?" demanded
Blake, as Joe began to set up the camera in the new location.

"Well, I don't want to make any accusations, especially against a French
officer, for I know they're on our side. But I heard that Sim and
Schloss are pretty sore because you fellows got this work."

"Sim and Schloss!" repeated Blake. "That Jew firm which tried to cut
under us in the contract for making views of animals in Bronx Park?"

"That's the firm," answered Macaroni. "But they're even more German than
they're J