ly half-hearted.

"Well, if you must go by yourself, all right," said Lieutenant
Anderson. "But my advice is that the sooner you get there the better."

Hal nodded, and, a moment later, going some distance to one side,
where he knew he could not be seen from the dining-room window, he
walked slowly toward the house.

He made no attempt at concealment as he walked along, for he knew that
such an action, should he be seen, would be suspicious and would
probably mean an unsuccessful termination of his plan. He had little
fear of detection, clothed as he was in a German uniform.

Now the lad reached the house, and sought a means of entrance. He did
not wish to go in the front door, for fear that someone might see him,
so, keeping close to the wall, he walked around the house.

His effort was rewarded. For at the extreme rear was a low window,
apparently halfway between the first and second floors.

"Evidently, at a turn in the steps," Hal told himself.

Quickly he grasped the edge of the sill, and exerting great strength
slowly and cautiously drew himself up. The window was open, and the
lad put one leg over the sill. A second later he sat in the opening,
and then disappeared inside the house.

Very cautiously he ascended the steps. Remembering the exact location
of the dining-room, the lad sought out the room above it. There, at
one end of the room, he found what appeared to be a little closet.

Gently opening the door, he peered in. Nothing but darkness met his
eyes. Hal stepped inside, pulling the door to after him, leaving just
a little crack that he might not be suffocated.

Then he laid his ear to the floor and listened intently. From below
came the faint sound of German voices.

Hal ran an exploring finger over the floor of the closet. His finger
felt a little hole, and changing his position the boy saw a very small
opening in the floor. He put his eye to the hole and peered down, and
as he made out the figures in the room below he chuckled softly to
himself.

The first man upon whom he laid his eyes was Count Von Moltke,
commander-in-chief of all the German armies, and who, upon one
occasion, had saved him from death before a firing squad.

"Wonder what he would say if he could see me now?" Hal asked himself.

His gaze roved over the room, and there at one end of the table sat an
imposing figure in gold-trimmed military uniform, sword between his
knees, a fierce military mustache curling upward.

T