Once more in the quarters of General French, both boys impatiently waited for him to speak—to tell them the reason he had summoned them so suddenly.
At length the general rose and approached them. He placed a hand on the shoulder of each, and spoke:
“You two lads already have been of invaluable service. Perhaps I should not again call upon you so soon, although I know your hearts are in the success of the arms of France and England. But you have so often proved your fitness for dangerous missions that you seem the ones needed.”
“We shall be glad to undertake the work, general, no matter what it is,” said Hal.
“Indeed we shall,” agreed Chester.
“What I must know,” said General French, “is the approximate strength of the enemy on the other side of the Marne, the positions of his troops and so on. I could ascertain this possibly by means of the flying corps; but in that event the enemy would know that I had learned. It must be done some other way. Are you lads willing to undertake this task?”
“Yes, sir,” said Hal and Chester, almost in a single breath.
“Good,” said General French. “I shall leave the means to you, for I have already come to know your resourcefulness. I have only one injunction: Be back at the earliest possible moment.”
The two lads saluted and left the tent. They immediately returned to Lieutenant Anderson, where they apprised him of the nature of the work before them.