hat?"

"Why Germany, through Chancellor Ebert, already is in negotiations with
President Wilson."

"What?"

"Exactly. President Wilson has replied that he will stick to his original
principles of peace, announced some time ago. Germany is requested to
announce whether she will accept such terms."

"But it seems to me," said Frank, "that if Germany wants peace she should
be made to ask it on the field of battle."

And that is exactly what happened, for when the armistice negotiations
were finally begun it was at a conference between Marshal Foch,
commander-in-chief of all the allied forces, and a commission of German
officers.

It was on November 8, that news of the armistice conference was flashed to
the Grand Fleet.

"Armistice commission will meet November 10 at Hirson, France," read the
message, flashed to every vessel in the fleet.

All that day and the next, every man in the fleet waited anxiously for
further word of the approaching armistice conference. None came. Neither
had any word been received on the evening of November 10.

"Must have been a hitch some place," said Frank, as they sat in the
latter's cabin that night.

"Not necessarily," replied Jack, "You know these things take time. A
matter like this can't be fixed up in an hour, or a day."

"Well," said Frank, "I'd like to know what terms Marshal Foch will impose
on the foe."

"They'll be stringent enough, don't you worry," said Jack. "He'll impose
terms harsh enough to make sure that Germany doesn't renew the struggle
while final peace negotiations are in progress."

"I hope so. But I'll tell you one thing I hope he does."

"What's that?" Jack wanted to know.

"I hope he insists on the surrender of the whole German fleet."

"Whew!" exclaimed Jack. "You don't want much, do you?"

"Well, he should insist on it," declared Frank.

"But he probably won't," returned Jack. "I figure, however that he will
insist that a large share of the ships be turned over to the allies,
including their most powerful submarines and battleships and cruisers. But
you can't expect them to give up the whole business, particularly when the
entire High Seas Fleet is practically intact."

"Maybe not; but I'm for taking all we can get."

"So am I," Jack agreed, "all that we can get without danger of causing a
hitch in the armistice proceedings."

"Seems to me," said Frank, "that by this time we should have had some word
of the proceedings at Hirson to-day."