e a visitor again to-night, just like happened in that
inn over at Calais."

"If we do you can make up your mind he'll have all his trouble for his
pains," the other told him; "besides, we'll take precautions this time,
and no sneak-thief can get into the room when I'm on my guard without
our knowing it."

The boys sat around for some little time afterwards. Rod entered into a
conversation with the woman of the house, for while he could tell her
many things concerning the state of affairs at the front, at the same
time there was always a possibility of his picking up a little
information that might come in handy later on.

In good time they were shown to a room, where they proceeded to make
themselves comfortable. Rod, with some cord which he produced, set a
clever little trap. By this simple method of protection he fixed matters
so that should any one try to enter by way of the open windows they
would arouse the sleepers by pulling down three chairs which had been
piled up, and made fast to the cord.

Whatever the plan of the plotter may have been, evidently entering the
room of the three American boys did not form a part of it, because the
night passed without any further alarm.

"Guess he knew we had that gun we took from his man who played the part
of Oscar William Tell," observed Hanky Panky in the morning, when
awakened by the rising sun they lay there and talked matters over.

"Well," remarked Josh with a yawn, "by this time Jules is beginning to
understand that we don't mean to handle him with gloves if he runs afoul
of us. While he may keep on trying as hard as ever to get that paper in
his hands, it'll be through some sneaky way, and not in a stand-up
fight. Schemers like him seldom do feel like facing the men they aim to
beat. I'm keeping an eye out for Jules; and say, if ever I do get a
chance to give him my compliments you listen to what he says about it;
that's all."

The morning opened peacefully, though in the distance they could already
begin to hear the guns take up the same steady rhythm that would grow
louder and more insistent as the day grew older, until the fierce rush
of battle again held sway, and a million of Frenchmen hurled themselves
against an equal number of Germans in the endeavor to push them back
still further in their retreat from before Paris.

The boys started out soon afterwards. Rod believed he knew about where
the regiment could be found to which Jeanne's husband, Andre,