fter was too long to be gotten wholly
into the chimney, but Tom poked the end of it through the hole and
upward until its angle brought it against the chimney wall.

It was right there that the crosspiece was wedged. In other words, it
had been pushed as high, a little on this side, a little on that, as
this handy implement would reach, and perhaps kept from falling in the
process by the gripping tongs.

Not another inch could Tom reach with this stick. By hammering upward
against the end of it, however, he was able to jam it up a trifle,
thanks to its capacity for bending. Thus he dislodged the crosspiece and
as it tumbled down he saw that it was the strip of molding from the
cabinet.

But along with it there fell something else which interested him far
more. This was a packet which had evidently been held against the side
of the chimney by the stick. There were six bulging envelopes held
together by a rubber band. The dampness of the chimney had not affected
the live rubber and it still bore its powdery white freshness.

"I wonder if they looked there," Tom thought. "Maybe they just reached
around--kind of. I should think they'd have noticed those shiny nails,
though."

He put the packet safely in his pocket and, hauling the cabinet up on
his back staggered up the stairs with it.

"What in the world took you so long?" said Mary Temple. "Oh, look at
your face!"

"I can't look at it," said matter-of-fact Tom.

"It's too funny! You've got soot all over it. Come over here and I'll
wash it off."

It was a curious thing about Tom Slade and a matter of much amusement to
his friends, that however brave or noble or heroic his acts might be, he
was pretty sure to get his necktie halfway around his neck and a dirty
face into the bargain.

CHAPTER III

HE SCENTS DANGER AND RECEIVES A LETTER

Tom was greatly excited by his discovery. As he hurried to the office he
opened the envelopes and what he found was not of a nature to modify his
excitement. Here was German propaganda work with a vengeance. He felt
that he had plunged into the very heart of the Teuton spy system.
Evidently the recipient of these documents had considered them too
precious to destroy and too dangerous to carry.

"He might still think of a way to get them, maybe," thought Tom.

There was a paper containing a list of all the American cantonments and
opposite each camp several names of individuals. Tom thought these might
be spies in Un