The three, accompanied by Stubbs, immediately made their way to the headquarters of General French. Here Hal, Chester and Captain Anderson were at once admitted, but Stubbs was forced to remain without, being told that Sir John French had no time to waste upon war correspondents.
"Well, what do you think of that?" Stubbs ejaculated. "A newspaper man refused admittance! I never heard of such a thing before."
Nevertheless he was forced to cool his heels on the outside until his newly found friends should come out, and this is what he proceeded to do.
General French greeted the two lads with a smile.
"Back so soon?" he exclaimed. "I hardly expected you before to-morrow.
And was your mission a success?"
"Well, General," replied Hal, "we didn't go as far as we could have gone. We were fortunate enough to come upon Captain Anderson, who had just escaped from the Germans, and knows more of the situation there than we could possibly have learned. We figured that it was not necessary to sacrifice lives foolishly."
"You did exactly right," replied General French.
He turned to Captain Anderson. "Are the Germans contemplating any new move in the north that you know of?" he asked.
"They are not, sir," was the reply. "I can say that positively. I heard plans while I was in the hospital. The German forces in the west have been drawn upon somewhat heavily to reënforce their troops in the eastern theater of war."
"Do you believe that a new offensive would drive them back?"