“Now tell me just why you suspect your driver.  Explain exactly what happened,” he said.  He turned to a stenographer.  “Take notes of this, Johnson,” he directed.

Harry told his story simply and well.  When he quoted the officer’s remark to the cab driver, with the German inversion, the colonel chuckled.

“You have your way lost!’ Eh ?” he said, with a smile.  “You’re right —­ he was no Englishman!  Go on!”

When he had finished, the colonel brought down his fist on his desk with a great blow.

“You’ve done very well, Fleming —­ that’s your name? —­ very well, indeed,” he said, heartily.  “We know London is covered with spies but we have flattered ourselves that it didn’t matter very much what they found, since there was no way that we could see for them to get their news to their headquarters in Germany.  But now —­”

He frowned thoughtfully.

“They might be able to set up a. chain of signalling stations,” he said.  “The thing to do would be to follow them, eh?  Do you think you could do that?  You might use a motorcycle —­ know how to ride one?”

“Yes, sir,” said Harry.

“Live with your parents, do you?  Would they let you go?  I don’t think it would be very dangerous, and you would excite less suspicion than a man.  See if they will let you turn yourself over to me for a few days.  Pick out another scout to go with you, if you like.  Perhaps two of you would be better than one.  Report to me in the morning.  I’ll write a note to your scoutmaster —­ Mr. Wharton, isn’t it?  Right!”

As they made their way homeward, thoroughly worked up by the excitement of their adventure, Harry wondered whether his father would let him undertake this service Colonel Throckmorton had suggested.  After all, he was not English, and he felt that his father might not want him to do it, although Mr. Fleming, he knew, sympathized strongly with the English in the war.  He said nothing to Dick, preferring to wait until he was sure that he could go ahead with his plans.

But when he reached his house he found that things had changed considerably in his absence.  Both his parents seemed worried; his father seemed especially troubled.

“Harry,” he said, “the war has hit us already.  I’m called home by cable, and at the same time there is word that your Aunt Mary is seriously ill.  Your mother wants to be with her.  I find that, by a stroke of luck, I can get quarters for your mother and myself on tomorrow’s steamer.  But there’s no room for you.  Do you think you could get along all right if you were left here?  I’ll arrange for supplies for the house; Mrs. Grimshaw can keep house.  And you will have what money you need.”

“Of course I can get along!” said Harry, stoutly.  “I suppose the steamers are fearfully crowded?”

“Only about half of them are now in service,” said Mr. Fleming.  “And the rush of Americans who have been travelling abroad is simply tremendous.  Well, if you can manage, it will relieve us greatly.  I think we’ll be back in less than a month.  Keep out of mischief.  And write to us as often as you can hear of a steamer that is sailing.  If anything happens to you, cable.  I’ll arrange with Mr. Bruce, at the Embassy, to help you if you need him, but that ought not to be necessary.”