combination was slow in coming.

_Du jour a l'aube_ was the next arrangement. He wrote it under the
printed words and began to apply the Square.

The D and the A yielded A; the U and the B yielded V; the J and the C
yielded E; the O and the D yielded R; the U and the E yielded T; the R
and the F yielded I.

"_Averti!_"

Carpenter gave a soft whistle of satisfaction. French, it was--his hunch
had not deceived him. The key-word was found!

Swiftly he worked out the rest of the cipher, setting down the letters
of the translation without regard to words. "_Averti_" was evident
because it was the first word. At the end, he had this result:

AVERTIQUELALLEMAGNEAENGAG
EUNOFFICIERADECELERLAFORM
ULESECRETEDESETATSUNISEMP
LOYEEACOLLODONNIERLAFULMI
COTONPOURLAPOUDRESANSFUME
EALARTILLERIEDEGROSCALIBR
EETQUEMADELINESPENCEREMIS
SAIREDELALLEMAGNEAPARISPH
OTOGRAPHIECIINCLUSEAETECH
ARGEEDELARECEVOIRNESEPEUT
DECOUVRIRLENOMDUTRAITRESP
ENCERESTPARTIEPOURNEWYORK
SURLALUSITANIAQUIDOITARRI
VERLEQUATORZEATOUTEFORCEI
NTERCEPTEZLAFORMULEOUEMPE
CHEZAMOINSQUELALLEMAGNENE
LOBTIENNESPENCERSIMPORTAN
TEALAFRANCE

There was not the least doubt as to it being in French--the last three
words, as well as the first, proved it; also that he had the correct
key-word. It only remained now to separate the result into words. And
this puzzle presented no difficulties to Carpenter; he quickly
marshalled it into form:

"_Averti que l'Allemagne a engage un officier a deceler la formule
secrete des Etats-Unis employee a collodonnier la fulmi-coton pour la
poudre sans fumeee a l'artillerie de gros calibre; et que Madeline
Spencer, emissaire de l'Allemagne a Paris,--photographie ci, incluse--a
ete de chargee la recevoir. Ne se peut decouvrir le nom du traitre.
Spencer est partie pour New York sur la Lusitania qui doit arriver le
quatorze. A toute force interceptez la formule; ou empechez a moins que
l'Allemagne ne l'obtienne. Spencer pas importante a la France._"

And under it he wrote the English translation: "Informed Germany has
induced an officer to betray United States secret formula for colloding
process of treating gun-cotton for smokeless powder for high power guns,
and that Madeline Spencer, a German Secret agent in Paris, photograph
enclosed herein, is delegated to receive same. Cannot ascertain name of
traitor. Spencer sailed Lusitania, due New York, fourteenth. Take any
means to intercept formula; o