trees, lest they be detected. So they had been looking
upward at an angle, as they watched the spy's house. Roy now saw that
if he were to climb high up in the big pine, he would be on a level
with the spy's windows, and could doubtless see clearly into the house.
The difficulty would be to make the climb without being detected.

Roy made his way back to headquarters and reported on his observations.
"I didn't go up," he said, "for fear he would see me."

"You were wise," replied Captain Hardy. "We must devise some plan by
which you can get up the tree unnoticed."

"Camouflage!" said Willie suddenly. "Fix one of us up like a pine
tree. Then he won't see us."

"Just the idea," said Lew laughing.

"We'll have to use the smallest boy in the bunch," said Captain Hardy,
"and that's you, Willie. Come. We'll see what we can do with you. Go
get me some samples of pine bark and needles."

Willie speedily got the desired objects. Captain Hardy examined them
critically. "You ought to have a dark brown suit, painted with
irregular stripes, like branches, and dabs of green, like foliage."

"Don't forget his face," cried Roy in glee. "That will have to be
painted brown and green also."

A laugh went up. "I'm merely telling what ought to be done, Willie,"
said Captain Hardy reassuringly, "not what we shall do. We have to
guard against observation by persons other than this spy. If the
neighbors saw a boy going out of here garbed the way you want Willie
fixed up, Roy, they would begin to ask questions. And we don't know
what the spy's relations are with his neighbors. What we shall have to
do is to dress Willie in clothes as nearly the color of the tree as
possible. We can get shoes, stockings, and a suit of clothes to match
the tree trunk. We can get a cap the shade of these pine-needles.
That leaves hands and face. They, too, must be disguised. A pair of
gloves of the proper shade will take care of the hands. But what about
the face?"

"Nothing for it but to paint it," said Roy, his eyes dancing.

"I guess you're right," said Captain Hardy. Willie made a wry face.
The captain saw him. "The trench raiders blacken both their hands and
faces when they steal out into No Man's Land at night," he said. "But
we won't use real paint, Willie. We'll get some theatrical paint that
comes off easily. I'll get the necessary materials at once."

He noted down the sizes needed and went out. And it was well he