“And if, by any chance, this offensive fails, the other plan will be put into execution, you say?”

“Yes, it has been arranged, I understand, down to the last detail.  The Paris Apaches, as you know, have neither love of country nor love of fellow-men.  They seek only gold.  Well, a man, Pierre Duval, by name, the King of the Paris Apaches, has been reached by one of our agents.  I am told he has 500 underworld denizens at his command.  These, at an auspicious moment, will seize the president, who will be hustled into a closed automobile surrounded by the army of Apaches, and the rest will be easy.”

“But Poincare’s bodyguard?”

“Ach!  It will not be strong enough to cope with the Apaches.  Besides, the surprise itself augurs well for the success of the plan.”

“Well, I hope neither plan fails.”

“You may rest easy on that score.  If one fails the other is sure to succeed.”

Hal and Chester, from their concealment, heard the men rise and move off in the opposite direction.

“Great Scott!” cried Chester.  “Do you know what that means?”

“I do,” said Hal simply.  “It means that, unless General Joffre is warned, the French army may suffer a crushing blow; also, if President Poincare is not warned, he may be kidnapped by the enemy!”

“Exactly,” said Chester.  “But what are we to do?”

“We must make a dash for it,” was the quiet response.

Quickly the lads stripped themselves of their woman’s garments, and advanced to the very edge of the German trenches.

“Now!” cried Hal, and, jumping from the shelter, they darted across the open field to where the tricolor of France fluttered aloft.

CHAPTER XV.

General Joffre is warned.

A great tumult arose in the German trench as the eyes of the soldiers fell upon the two figures speeding toward the distant French line.  Stripped of their woman’s attire the lads had exposed their French uniforms and they were recognized in a flash by the enemy.

But, so sudden had been their dash that they were enabled to cover a considerable distance before the troops, at a sharp command from their officers, brought their rifles to their shoulders to fire a volley after them.  By that time the lads were perhaps a hundred yards beyond the trench, and, glancing quickly over his shoulder, Hal perceived the movements of the enemy.

“Drop, quick!” he called to Chester.

Without slackening their speed the lads threw themselves to the ground at the very moment the Germans fired.

The bullets whistled harmlessly over the lads’ heads.

They were up again in an instant and dashed forward.  By a miracle, it seemed, they escaped being shot down.  Soon they were nearer the French trenches than those of the Germans.  Still the enemy rained bullets after them.