“Leave these men with me,” he instructed the French officer who had escorted the lads to his tent; “but attend me outside within call, Captain.”

The French officer saluted and withdrew.

General Petain gazed frowningly at Hal and Chester for perhaps a full minute.  The lads returned his look without flinching, though there was nothing that might be construed as defiance in their manner; rather, nothing but respectful attention.

“So!” said General Petain at last.  “So!  I find you two lads, whom I have trusted, among a band of conspirators, eh?”

“Among them, sir,” said Hal, quietly, “but not of them.”

“What’s that?” demanded the general.  “You admit you were with them and then claim innocence?  Impossible!”

“I beg your pardon, sir,” said Hal, “but it is not impossible.  It is the truth.”

“But I have it on high authority,” returned the general, “that you have been the possessors of the emblem of the conspirators for some days now.”

“That is true enough, sir,” Hal agreed; “but we came into the possession of those black peas accidentally and with no thought of their significance.”

The general sniffed contemptuously.

“My information regarding you boys comes from a source that I am afraid I must believe,” he said.

“Will you tell us the source, sir?” asked Hal.

General Petain shook his head.

“It would do no good,” he returned.  “It would not alter the facts in the case.  Now, I know you boys have been of great value to the cause of the Allies.  My informant is authority for that statement also.  You have accomplished much and France and the other allied countries must thank you.  But it appears now that you have been led from the proper way of thinking; and my informant in your case says, and rightly, that from young men who have done much to advance the cause of the Allies, there is much to be feared when they embark upon some other venture.

“You are both resourceful; I know that.  That is the reason that I have had you placed under arrest—­that you may not turn your energies against us.  I shall have you sent to Paris, thence to London, and I hope that before long you will be back in your own country, the United States.”

“Pardon me, sir,” said Hal, respectfully, “but I do not need to ask you again to name the man who has caused us to be in this predicament.  His name is Stubbs.”

“Well, I see no need to deny it,” said General Petain.

“General,” said Chester, now stepping forward, “I would be glad if you would give me an opportunity to explain this matter.”

“It shall not be said that I denied any man a hearing,” was the general’s reply.  “Proceed.”

As briefly as possible Chester recounted the manner in which they had come into possession of the two peas; of why they decided to keep them; of their capture the night before by Anthony Stubbs and of their escape; and last, of their attendance at the meeting of the conspirators, where, for the first time, they learned the true significance of the little black peas.