"Not a bit more than I ought to be," returned Dick earnestly. "I have chances of seeing things that you fellows don't. I'm flying all over the occupied zone, and I tell you that the Spartacides are trying to stir up trouble everywhere. In almost every other town you can see the red flag flying. There's stormy weather coming, and we've got to be prepared for gales." "That just fits in with what Colonel Pavet of the French Army was telling me to-day," said Frank. "He's just back from Berlin, and he's sure there's trouble afoot." "Well," said Dick, "I hope that we're both false prophets, but I'm afraid we're not. I'll have to get on now, fellows." "What did you come down for?" asked Tom. "Engine trouble?" "No, it wasn't that," replied Dick. "The old girl is working fine. I just saw an American bunch marching along here and dropped down to say 'howdy.' I'm off now. See you soon in Coblenz." With a wave of his hand, he walked over, climbed into his machine, and started skyward. The boys watched him soaring until his machine was only a dot in the steel blue of the winter sky, and then, as their brief rest period had ended, started on the march to Coblenz. "One great boy, that Dick," remarked Frank, when the aviator was finally lost to sight. "You bet he is," agreed Billy emphatically. "He's one of the greatest aces that ever climbed into a plane." "I suppose he must be feeling rather lonely now that he isn't bringing down his daily Hun," suggested Tom. "He's all wool and a yard wide," affirmed Bart. "I'll never forget that if it hadn't been for him I might never have got back to you fellows." "Do you remember the time he swooped down with his machine guns popping and carried us off when we were being taken to a German prison camp?" asked Frank. "I tell you it took nerve for a fellow to charge a whole detachment." "Oh, he's got nerve enough for a whole regiment," declared Billy. "He'd be a mighty handy fellow to have at your back in any kind of scrap, and don't you forget it." In a short time they reached the town without further adventure and delivered their prisoners into the hands of the authorities. They were off duty then and had no further assignment for the rest of the afternoon and evening. The early winter dusk was settling down, but it was yet a full hour before it would be entirely dark. "What are you going to do with yourself, Bart?" asked Frank. "I know of course what Tom and Billy are going to do. They're going to make tracks for the house where their deities reside." "Good guess," admitted Billy. "You bet we are." "I haven't anything special on hand," replied Bart in answer to Frank's question. "Come along with me then," said his chum. "Anywhere you say, what's the game?" "I'm going straight for the alley where they nearly got our number the other night. That thing's on my mind all the time. It haunts me even in my sleep. I'm going to get to the bottom of that mystery or know the reason why."