“But I think he has his eye on us, all the same,” observed Blake, as the boys went into their hotel.

“What are we going to do about it?” inquired Charlie.  “Shall we put up a kick or a fight?”

“Neither one,” decided Blake, after a moment’s thought.

“Why not?” inquired Macaroni, with rather a belligerent air, as befitted one in the midst of war’s alarms.  “Why not go and ask this fellow what he means by spying on us?”

“In the first place, if we could confront him, which I very much doubt,” answered Blake, “he would probably deny that he was even so much as looking at us, except casually.  Those fellows from Scotland Yard, or whatever the English now call their Secret Service, are as keen as they make ’em.  We wouldn’t get any satisfaction by kicking.”

“Then let’s fight!” suggested Charlie.  “We can protest to the officer who told us to wait here for our permits to go to the front.  We can say we’re United States citizens and we object to being spied on.  Let’s do it!”

“Yes, we could do that,” said Blake slowly.  “But perhaps we are being kept under surveillance by the orders of that same officer.”

“What in the world for?”

“Well, because the authorities may want to find out more about us.”

“But didn’t we have our passports all right?  And weren’t our papers in proper shape?” asked Charlie indignantly.

“As far as we ourselves are concerned, yes,” said Blake.  “But you must remember that passports have been forged before, by Germans, and——­”

“I hope they don’t take us for Germans!” burst out Charlie.

“Well, we don’t look like ’em, that’s a fact,” said Blake, with a smile.  “But you must remember that the English have been stung a number of times, and they aren’t taking any more chances.”

“Just what do you think this fellow’s game is?” asked Charlie.

“Well,” answered Blake slowly, and as if considering all sides of the matter.  “I think he has been detailed by the English Foreign Office, or Secret Service, or whoever has the matter in charge, to keep an eye on us and see if we are really what we claim to be.  That’s all.  I don’t see any particular harm in it; and if we objected, kicked, or made a row, it would look as if we might be guilty.  So I say let it go and let that chap do all the spying he likes.”

“Well, I guess you’re right,” assented Joe.

“Same here,” came from their helper.

“Anyhow, we might as well make the best of it,” resumed Blake.  “If we had a fight with this chap and made him skedaddle, it would only mean another would be put on our trail.  Just take it easy, and in due time, I think, we’ll be given our papers and allowed to go to the front.”

“It can’t come any too soon for me,” declared Joe.

So for the next few days the boys made it a point to take no notice of the very obvious fact that they were under surveillance.  It was not always the same man who followed them or who was seen standing outside the hotel when they went out and returned.  In fact, they were sure three different individuals had them in charge, so to speak.