“It was to the effect that he was willing to pay a certain sum to have you boys injured so that you would be laid up in the hospital for weeks.  He had gained the promise first of all that Bertrand would never say a word about what he meant to tell him.

“Although he admitted that his mind was hardly clear at the time, still Bertrand assured me he had repelled the offer with indignation, and even threatened to beat up his tempter unless he took himself off.  The man hurried away, and then in the excitement of the order for his battalion to go over the top, Bertrand Hale forgot all about it.

“From that time on it was nothing but fighting and sleeping for him, so he had no time even to think of warning you.  Then he got into the mess this morning that finished him.  With that arm gone he’s done with fighting, he knows, even if he pulls through.

“It was the sight of me that made him remember, for he said he surely had seen me with one of you boys several times.  And so he confessed, begging me to get word to you, so that if the unknown schemer did find a tool to carry out his evil plots you would be on your guard.

“I could not wait after hearing that, but came as fast as I could, fearing you might have set out again and that something would go wrong with your plane.  That is the story simply told, Tom.  Can you guess why any one should wish to do either of you such a wrong as that?”

“What you tell us, Nellie,” said Tom soberly, “clears up one mystery we’ve been puzzling over.”

Then he rapidly sketched what they had discovered on the preceding night, when they had arrived at the hangar prepared to go forth with the raiders, only to learn that some unknown person had been meddling with their plane.

“So it looks as if Bertrand’s refusal to play the dirty game didn’t prevent that man from finding some one who was willing to sell his soul for money,” was the way Tom wound up his short story.

Nellie was appalled.  Her pretty face took on an expression of deepest anxiety, showing how much she cared should ill-fortune attend these good friends of hers.

“How can such wickedness exist when war had made so many heroes among our boys?” she mourned.  “But you must be doubly on your guard, both of you.  Tell me, can you guess why this unknown person should want to injure you?”

“Simply to keep me from setting out for America,” said Jack bitterly.  “Let me describe my cousin Randolph to you, Nellie; and then tell me if what Bertrand said about the unknown man would correspond to his looks.”

After she had heard his accurate description Nellie nodded her head.

“He saw very little of his face, so he said.  Bertrand only said the other was a man of medium build, with a soft voice that made him think of silk and then too he had a trick of making gestures with his left hand, just as you’ve said your cousin does.  Yes, something tells me your guess is close to the mark; but he must be a very wicked man to attempt such a dreadful thing.”