men--that's what they arre.--Maybe it's some kind of strategy,
hey? They can do spooky things, those Huns. They've got magic uniforms."

"I don't see any reason for it," said sober Tom, still looking about,
unable to conquer his amazement.

"That's just it," said Archer. "They do things therre ain't any reason
forr just to practice theirr efficiency. Pretty soon you'll see all the
allied soldierrs'll be losing their coats. Go-o-o-o-d _night_!"

"Well, I can't find any footprints, that's sure," said Tom, rather
chagrined. "I usually can."

"Maybe it was some sort of an airship," Archer suggested.

Whatever the explanation of this extraordinary thing, the coats were
gone. There were no footprints, and there had been no wind. And the
mysterious affair left the boys aghast.

"One thing sure--we'd better get away from here quick," said Tom.

"You said it! Ebeneezerr, but this place has got the Catskills and old
Rip Van Winkle beat! Come on--quick!"

Tom was not sure that one side of the water was any safer than the other
in this emergency, and he was almost too nonplussed to do anything, but
surely they were in danger, he felt, and would better be upon their way
without the loss of a minute. What troubled him not a little also was
that the precious spy-glass and the compass were with the missing coats.

They could see now that the water was a long, narrow lake the ends of
which were just discernible from the midway position along the shore
where they stood, and the opposite shore was perhaps a mile distant.

"Are you game to swim it?" Archer asked.

They felt that this would be easier than the long tramp around and that
they would have the advantage while swimming of an extended view and
would avoid any danger which might lurk behind the trees.

They had almost reached the opposite shore when Archer sputtered and
called out to Tom: "Look, look!"

Tom looked and saw, hanging from a branch on the shore they were
nearing, the two missing field gray uniform coats.

This was too much. Speechless with amazement they clambered ashore and
walked half fearfully up to their fugitive garments. There was no doubt
about it, there were the two coats dangling from a low hanging branch,
perfectly dry and in the pockets the spy-glass and the trusty compass.
The two boys stared blankly at each other.

"Well--what--do--you--know--about--that?" said Archer.

"They didn't steal anything, anyway," said Tom, half under his breath.