“Well, here it is, and I think it’s the answer to the whole thing:  Are you crazy?”

Stubbs gave a snort.

“Crazy!” he shouted.  “No, I’m not crazy!  Who says I’m crazy?”

“I do, Stubbs,” declared Hal.

“And I agree with him,” exclaimed Chester.

The little war correspondent became suddenly very angry.  He stamped up and down the tent muttering to himself.  Then he whirled on the lads.

“You make me tired!” he exclaimed.  “Here I’ve gone and got myself in a mess just to keep you two out of trouble and what thanks do I get for it?  You say I’m crazy!  Why, you ought to bow down and thank me for doing what I am doing.  You both make me sick.”

“Well, we’re not going to do any bowing down to you, Stubbs,” said Hal; “but there is one thing I’ll promise you.”

“What’s that?” demanded Stubbs, eagerly.

“That, Mr. Stubbs,” said Hal, “is a good first-class thrashing when I get hold of you again.”

“Guess we had better make it two,” declared Chester.  “Remember he’s got me here with you, Hal.”

“All right, Chester.  We’ll make it a double-handed affair.  Hear that, Stubbs?”

Stubbs snapped his fingers at them.

“You can do what you please when you get free,” he declared.  “But I’m going to make it a point to see that you don’t get free on this side of the English Channel.  Now, good-night.”

The little man turned, ordered his men out ahead of him and disappeared from the tent.

For some moments Hal and Chester lay silent without a word.  Then Hal said: 

“Chester, if you can tell me what’s at the bottom of all this, I’ll give you a million dollars.”

“If you had the million, Hal, you’d lose.”

“You don’t mean to tell me—­”

“Of course I know.  I thought you did by this time.  There are two things at the bottom of this and they are—­two little black peas!”

“Well, by Jove!” said Hal, “and to think I didn’t get that through my head sooner.  Then you think these peas—­”

“Yes; there is some kind of a conspiracy brewing and Stubbs thinks we have a hand in it.  Whatever it is, he’s against it.  You remember how he shut up in the middle of his tale that night when he first saw the peas in our possession?”

“By Jove!  That’s so!”

“Sure; but have you any idea what the conspiracy may be?”

“Not the slightest; but if we can get out of here we’ll have a look.  We know one of the band, I think.”

“You mean?”

“Jules Clemenceau.  I don’t suppose he ever missed the two peas.  He probably had more.  At the first opportunity we’ll display our peas where he can see them and then maybe he will say something that will tip us off where to look next.”

“Not a bad idea; but he seems to be so young to be mixed up in such a thing.”

“He’s no younger than we are; and we’ve been mixed up in a whole lot of things.”