“What do you mean?” asked Hal.

“Why, the one you used on Robard in Rome,” said Chester. “’From the Wilhelmstrasse.’”

“By Jove!  I believe you are right,” declared Hal.

“I am certain of it,” replied Chester.  “So, you see, we will overcome suspicion, and will have freedom of the Austrian camp—­practically.  Now, what do you think of the plan?”

“Well, it has its advantages,” replied Colonel Anderson, “and if we are careful and cautious, it may work.  In lieu of a better, I guess we may as well act upon it.  Now, who is going to draw these maps?  A map I would draw wouldn’t look like much.”

“I guess that is up to me,” said Chester.  “I am rather handy with a pencil.”

He set to work and an hour later produced the result of his labors.

“Fine,” said the colonel, after gazing at the maps.  “And you have laid them out, names and all.  If the Austrians were to advance with the belief that these were authentic, we’d eat ’em alive.”

“I hope they do it,” said Chester.  “Now it’s up to you to get the other figures.”

“We’ve prepared those,” said the colonel, and produced the result of an hour’s work.

“Now we’ll have to hide them, so it will look right,” said Chester.

“Right; but first crumple them up and rub a little dirt on ’em,” said Hal.

This was done.

Then the three went in search of the necessary clothing.  This they obtained without much difficulty.

“Now, about the starting time?” said Chester.

“My idea,” said Hal, “is that we go to the front at once, but that we do not start toward the enemy’s lines until just after the break of day.”

“Why?” asked Colonel Anderson.

“For several reasons, but one will suffice.  If we go at night the whole thing is likely to go wrong, and they’ll shoot us without taking any chances.  They won’t see our apparently serious predicament in the darkness.”

“You are right, as usual,” replied the colonel.

“Now about weapons,” said Chester.  “We ought to carry a couple of guns apiece.”

“And a good supply of ammunition,” agreed Hal.

“We’ve got the guns, but not the ammunition,” said Chester.

“I’ll rustle that up for you in a few minutes,” said the colonel.

He was as good as his word.

An hour later they set out for the front, still in uniform, for they did not wish to don their civilian attire until it became necessary, for fear they would arouse suspicion in the breast of the Italian officer in command and necessitate a loss of time.

The Italian colonel in command of the outpost at the extreme northern front listened to their plan and pronounced it a good one.

“I’ll have you chased good and properly,” he said, with a grin.

“Guess we had better turn in,” said Colonel Anderson.  “We’ll leave it to you to have us called half an hour before daybreak,” he said to the officer.