“What’s the matter?” asked Chester.

“Matter is that we have no spare tire,” replied Hal.  “Where shall we get one?”

“I don’t know,” returned Chester.  “The chances are that every spare tire within forty miles is in use.  However, we might go into this restaurant and make some inquiries.”

Hal followed his friend into the restaurant, where Chester made known their wants.

The proprietor, a smiling and effusive little Frenchman, greeted them warmly.

“I myself have a tire that shall be yours,” he told them.  “It shall be taken from my own car and put upon yours.  Jacques!”

In response to this call a dapper little waiter came forward, and to him the proprietor made known his desires.  The waiter bowed and departed.  The proprietor turned to the lads.

“While Jacques is making ready messieurs’ car,” he said with a bow, “it will give me pleasure to have messieurs lunch with me.”

“How long will it take him to fix it?” asked Hal.

The little Frenchman shrugged his shoulders.

“Perhaps fifteen minutes, perhaps twenty,” he replied.

“In that event,” said Hal, “we shall be glad to accept your invitation.”

The Frenchman beamed upon them, and led the way to the rear of the little room, where he motioned them to seats at a somewhat secluded table.

“We shall not be disturbed here,” he said.

A light luncheon was soon upon the table, and the lads fell to with a will, for they were quite hungry.

While the lads were in the midst of their meal, a group of French officers, all young lieutenants, came boisterously into the restaurant and took seats at a table close to where the lads sat.  It was plain to both boys that they had been drinking more than was good for them, and they paid no attention to them beyond acknowledging their salutes.

One of the young officers pounded loudly on the table and demanded wine immediately.  The proprietor arose from the table where the lads sat and hastened to attend to the wants of his customers himself, and soon several bottles of wine were upon the table.

The proprietor filled the glasses of the young officers, and then, at a nod from one of them, approached the table where the lads sat and poured out two more glasses of the sparkling fluid, which he placed before Hal and Chester.

The French officers at the other table rose, each with his glass in his hand; then one of them looked toward Hal and Chester, and the latter, realizing that the young Frenchman was about to propose a toast, also got to their feet; but instead of holding their wine glasses aloft, the glasses which they raised held nothing more than water.

The young Frenchman gave his toast.

“France!” he said gravely.

Each man raised his glass to his lips and drained it, but Hal and Chester drank the toast in clear, cold water.  As the first Frenchman returned his glass to the table, he noticed that the wine before Hal and Chester remained untouched.  His face turned a dull red, and he approached the lads.