ake. "Though I have my
suspicions of him also. He and Labenstein weren't talking so earnestly
together for nothing. We'll watch that Frenchman, too."

"And if he tries any more games in spoiling films I'll have my say!"
threatened Macaroni.

The boys talked the situation over at some length as they put away the
films they had taken of the submarine attack, and agreed that "watchful
waiting" was the best policy to adopt. As Blake had said, little could
be gained by denouncing Labenstein with only the word of one witness to
rely on.

"If all three of us catch him at his traitorous work, then we'll
denounce him," suggested Blake.

"Yes, and the Frenchman, too!" added Charlie, in a louder voice, so that
Blake raised a cautioning hand.

At that moment came a knock on their door, and a voice said:

"I am Mr. Labenstein!"

CHAPTER X

THE FLASHLIGHT

Almost like conspirators themselves, the boys looked at one another as
the voice and knock sounded together. Blake was the first to recover
himself.

"Come in!" he called, in as welcoming a tone as he could muster under
the circumstances. Then as the knob of the door was ineffectually tried,
he added:

"Oh, I forgot it was locked! Wait a moment!"

A moment later he had swung the door open, and the man who, the boys
believed, was a German spy confronted them, smiling.

"You are locked in as if you feared another submarine," he said. "It is
not the best way to do. You should be on deck!"

"But not on deck as you were, with a flag to signal to the Huns,"
thought Joe; and he wished he dared make the accusation.

Blake motioned to the caller to seat himself on a stool.

"I came to see if I might borrow something," began the caller. "I find
that mine is out of order for some reason," and he held out a small, but
powerful, electric flash lamp, of the sort sold for the use of soldiers.
"Have you, by any chance, one that you could spare me?" asked Mr.
Labenstein.

"I do not want it, if it is the only one you have, but they are a great
convenience in one's berth, for the lights must be kept turned off, now
that we are in the danger zone made by those terrible Germans. Ah, how I
hate them!" and his anger seemed very real and earnest.

"Did you say you wanted to borrow a pocket electric flash lamp?" asked
Blake, wishing to make the caller repeat his request. As he asked this
question Blake looked at his chums, as though to ask them to take
particular note of th