sort of a campaign, by
means of which we can pay a flying visit to this old chateau and
surprise the famous general, perhaps relieve him of the voluntary charge
he's taken on his shoulders by carrying Helene away with us."

"You hit the bull's-eye the first shot, Tom. That is just what I had in
mind. Please don't try to throw cold water on my hopes by saying it
can't be done."

"Make your mind easy on that score, Jack. I'm just as eager as you can
be to drop in on the general and bring Helene back to her twin sister."

"I'm right glad to hear you say that. Fact is, I ought to be ashamed to
suspect for a single second that you'd decline to back me up. Now the
only question that's left is to set the time."

"That may have to be settled by circumstances just now beyond our
control," Tom told him, very seriously.

Jack seeing him look around so carefully sensed something of importance.

"See here, what ails you, Tom? You've got something held back, I just
know. Is that fair to me, your old chum? I've been told there was an
extra big event in the air, but no one seemed able to get a line on it.
Those who did know kept it a dead secret. Are you one of them? And won't
you put me wise, Tom?"

"I've kept it a secret for two days, until I'm ready to burst," admitted
Tom, with a sigh of relief. "Just a bit ago I received permission to
mention it to you, as the observer who was to accompany me is out of the
running, and they gave me my choice of another. Of course I took you,
Jack."

"It's well you did, because I'd never have forgiven you if you'd gone
back on your old pal," Jack replied, nodding his head. "Now tell me what
it's all about. Are we going to blast the Kaiser out of his throne?"

"It amounts to about that, I'd say, Jack. Listen. The High Command have
laid out a scheme to knock the last prop out from under Fritz. There's a
certain stronghold they're banking on as a bulwark of safety in case we
do succeed in breaking through here. Get that, Jack?"

"Yes, spin away, Tom."

"All right. Well, they've been getting all kinds of secret information
about this particular spot, and it's on the map to knock it sky-high!"

"Bomb it, you mean, of course?"

"We've got a new kind of bomb, it seems, said to be three times as
powerful in its effects as the best the Huns handle. Our leaders are
anxious that it should be tried out against this stronghold that the
Boche seems to think is going to hold Pershing's boys up for