nd in some fashion managed to "dismount."

He pattered after his two chums, who were already moving toward the
middle of the big field.

Rob, always noticing things as he went along, found that the field was
very level, and he could understand how the place must have been
selected for a rendezvous since it offered such exceptional facilities
for an aeroplane to land and start up again.

Perhaps this had been a regular nightly affair, and all sorts of
valuable information may have been carried to the German Headquarters
by means of this novel air route.

As the three boys gradually drew nearer the place where the lantern
could still be seen, they discovered that it was now being held in the
hand of some person who wore a uniform.

"Belgians, all right!" muttered Rob, after noting that the garb was not
like the khaki-colored clothes of the British troops, nor yet the blue
and red of the French soldiers.

There seemed to be more than a dozen of the men, showing that they had
come in force. Whether they had discovered the spy by accident or
followed him to the place of meeting, Rob, of course, could only guess;
nor did it matter to him.

"I can see the prisoner!" whispered Merritt.

"Yes, and there seem to be two of them," added Rob, noting that the men
were being held by several soldiers, and it was as though the officer in
command might be questioning them closely, for a voice could be heard
speaking in French.

"They've been up against hard knocks, it looks like," Tubby mentioned,
eager to let his chums know he was close at their heels, and able to
see a few things for himself.

Indeed, the men did have the appearance of having been through the mill.
Their hats were missing, so that their hair hung about their faces,
which looked as if they had been brought in contact with a pile-driver,
for there was blood, also contusions and bruises visible.

"And one of them stands as if he hadn't any use for his left leg, which
means most likely he's got a bullet through it," Rob continued.

He spoke aloud, and for a reason. It were better that the soldiers in
the field learned of their advance by some such method as this. If, on
the other hand, the trio of scouts were detected advancing in any sort
of suspicious manner they might be unfortunate enough to evoke a volley.
Excited men sometimes shoot first and ask questions afterward.

A harsh voice suddenly demanded in French to know who they were, and
what they had t