“Now, sir,” said General Joffre to General Tromp, “you will please dismiss your staff.”

Without a word General Tromp turned and gave the necessary order.  A moment later and the four, General Joffre, General Tromp, Hal and Chester, were alone together.

“What is the meaning of this, sir?” demanded General Tromp, with some dignity.

“The meaning, General Tromp,” said General Joffre calmly, “is that you are a traitor!”

General Tromp started back, and his hand went up before his face as if to ward off a blow.

“What!” he cried in well simulated surprise.  “Have a care, sir.  I shall allow no such insults, even though you are my superior officer.”

“Tush, tush,” chided the commander-in-chief gently.  “Why keep up the pretense?  You are discovered.  Why not admit it and have done?”

“Sir!” cried General Tromp, drawing himself up.  “I demand an explanation of your strange conduct.”

“And you shall have it, sir!” thundered General Joffre, now very angry, as he took a step forward.

General Tromp quailed before him.  His eyes fell to the ground and his injured dignity dropped from him like a mask.

“I accuse you,” continued General Joffre, “of being a traitor to France.  I accuse you of aiding and abetting the escape of another traitor, one Dersi.  And I also accuse you,” and here the general pointed an accusing finger at General Tromp, “of even now playing into the hands of the enemy by ordering an advance, when you knew very well that such an advance could mean only the extermination of our troops.”

By a great effort General Tromp forced his eyes to meet those of his commander.

“I deny it,” he said in a thick voice.

“A denial is useless,” said General Joffre quietly.

But General Tromp had now succeeded in regaining command of himself to a certain extent, and once more he tried to bluff it out.

“Who accuses me?” he demanded, with well assumed bravado.

“I do,” said Hal, stepping forward.

“And I,” cried Chester, also advancing a step.

General Tromp turned to General Joffre.

“And you take the word of those two upstarts in preference to mine?” he demanded.

“I do,” said the general quietly, “upon the advice of General Sir John French, who vouches for the truth of their story.  Besides, your actions just now have convicted you.  Come, Tromp, further denial is useless.  Dersi has confessed.”

“Dersi!” exclaimed Tromp, his fingers twitching.  “If I could just get my hands on him for one minute—­”

“But you can’t,” said General Joffre.  “He is dead.  And he died with a clear conscience, as I hope you will do.”

“What do you mean?” cried Tromp, starting back.

“Exactly what I say,” was General Joffre’s chilling reply.  “You have your choice.  Either the way I mean, or to be publicly hanged as a traitor.  If possible, I desire to avoid publicity.  Which shall it be?”