Josh shook his head with a vim.
“Excuse me, Rod, but I don’t think you’ve hit the real secret,” he went on to say. “This man has stayed here for a purpose, and he’s about ready to lose his own life, I’d say, so as to carry it out. I really and truly believe he must have a screw loose in the upper story.”
“Go on,” said Rod, seeing that Josh evidently knew more than he had as yet explained.
“I just noticed him by the merest accident,” explained the other. “He’s hiding in a hole in the ground. I happened to see him lift his head, and noticed that he wore the dark green uniform of a German soldier. Then I discovered something else, Rod, that gave me a cold feeling, and made the chills run down my back.”
“Go on, and hurry, too!” advised Rod.
“It was a wire, Rod, a wire that seemed to come up out of the ground, and disappear by the side of a tree. It headed straight for the shelter that used to be the headquarters of the German staff, and where the French officers are gathering right now, waiting for the general to join them.”
“A wire, did you say, Josh?” demanded Rod, starting up, and looking white.
“Yes, and ten chances to one there’s a mine, planted under headquarters, which he means to explode so as to blow up the French staff, general and all.”