“Pretty good fit, isn’t it?” he asked.

“Well, it’s not so awfully good,” replied Stubbs, concealing a grin, “but I guess it will answer the purpose.  Now throw that shawl over your head and you’ll be fixed.”

Hal, by this time, had climbed into the second costume, and now strode about.

“Hold on a minute,” said Stubbs.  “You’ll have to roll up your trousers’ legs, or a puff of wind is likely to come along and give you away.”

Both lads obeyed this injunction.

“That’s better,” said the war correspondent, after eying them critically.  “Now, let’s see if there is anything else.”

He stood back a few paces and surveyed them carefully.

“How do we look?” asked Hal.

“It would be a shame to tell you,” said Stubbs cheerfully.  “However, I guess you will pass muster.  Wait a minute, though, there is another thing.  You stand too erect.  Stoop over a little bit.  That’s better.  Now you have it,” he exclaimed, as the lads dropped into the proper pose.

“Now, rub your hands in the dirt a bit and streak your faces.”

The lads obeyed, and once more Stubbs stood off and surveyed them long and carefully.

“I guess that will do all right,” he murmured.

“What are we supposed to be, anyway?” demanded Chester.

“Apple-women,” replied Stubbs.

“Then where are the apples and baskets?” asked Hal.

“Well, you are shy on them right now,” said Stubbs.  “So you will have to do the best you can without ’em.  If you are questioned, which I don’t believe you will be, say that you have sold out; that you have thrown your baskets away and that you are going to try to get to a place of safety.”

“But I didn’t know there were any apple-women near here,” said Chester.

“Well, there aren’t any,” replied Stubbs.  “However, if there had not been two, I wouldn’t have been able to get these clothes for you.”

“How did you get them?”

“Bought ’em.”

“Then why didn’t you get the baskets and apples, too?” asked Hal.

The little man sniffed his contempt.

“I would have looked nice lugging two big baskets about, wouldn’t I?” he asked.  “If I had tried that I’d have been shot a long while ago.  I had trouble enough getting here with the bundle without being seen.”

“But why—­” began Hal.

“Great Scott!” exclaimed Stubbs.  “You fellows should have been newspaper men.  You can ask more fool questions to the minute than anyone I ever heard.”

The little man’s feelings were considerably ruffled, and Hal hastened to assuage them.

“Don’t think for a minute we are not grateful,” he said.  “If we succeed in getting safely away we’ll owe you a deep debt of thanks.”

“Rats!” exclaimed Stubbs.  “I don’t want any thanks.  All I want is to get you fellows out of here.”

“But how are you going to get away?”