prisoners?" he questioned.

"Well, I know one of them," was the reply. "That is, I thought I did
once. It seems that I was mistaken."

"Explain yourself."

"This," said the German, pointing to Hal, "is the young man to whom I
told you I delivered the dispatches intended for you. He represented
himself to me as Captain Dersam, of your staff. Later we found Captain
Dersam gagged and bound on the banks of the Marne. Therefore, this
officer must be a traitor."

General Von Kluck rose to his feet excitedly.

"So," he exclaimed, "you are the man whom we have to thank for the
defeat of our plan, eh?" He turned to the officer. "And you say he
was in German uniform?"

"Yes, sir."

The general turned to Hal.

"Do you know what that means?" he asked.

Hal nodded his head.

"It means," continued the general, "that you are a spy. You shall pay
the penalty."

"But," Hal protested, "I was not captured within your lines in German
uniform nor in disguise. You cannot treat me as a spy."

"I can't, eh?" cried General Von Kluck angrily. "Well, you shall see."

"The boy is right," came a stern voice from behind him, and, turning,
Hal started back in amazement.

"The Emperor!" he cried.

And from other throats in the group came the time-worn salutation:

"_Hoch der Kaiser!_"

CHAPTER XXIX.

GERMAN HOSPITALITY.

"Yes," continued the Emperor of Germany, "the boy is right. He has
spoiled our plans, I will admit; but it takes a brave man to wander
into our lines as he did. It takes a brave one to have made a dash in
the armored cars I have just witnessed; and it takes a brave man to
raid right into the heart of our arms and destroy twenty-five
aeroplanes, as I have no doubt he did."

"What," exclaimed all the German officers in the tent, "the aeroplanes
destroyed?"

"Yes," continued the emperor, "and with them another opportunity to
deal a death-blow to the English." Then, turning to Hal: "I have no
doubt that you were concerned in that--am I right?"

"Yes, your majesty," said the lad.

"I thought so," said the emperor, and he turned again to General Von
Kluck.

"The lad is perfectly right when he says that he was not captured in
disguise. No doubt he was within our lines in German uniform, but, as
he was not captured, he cannot be executed as a spy. Do you
understand?"

"Yes, sire," said General Von Kluck, bowing low.

"It seems to me," went on the Kaiser, "that rather than spend so much
time looki