"Well, we will see him on our way back. We're in a kind of a hurry, Sergeant." And they bade me good night and left. There was something told me that all was not well with these men, but the suspicion had not become sufficiently rooted in my head to find expression, and, consequently, I said nothing at the time. The very next morning after inspection, orders were read and in the instructions were explicit descriptions of two British officers who were German agents and who were making the rounds of the lines, picking up information wherever they could, and commanding all ranks to be on the lookout and arrest them on sight, shooting them if they resisted, and offering a prize of ten pounds to the man who succeeded in effecting their arrest. "Good Lord!" I thought. "What a miss!" If my wits had been properly working, I would have been ten pounds the richer, together with a four-weeks' leave of absence. These audacious agents had visited all sections and doubtless had acquired a store of general information, and headquarters urged a most rigorous search for them. The following night they were spotted in a French _estaminet_, by a bunch of sharp-eyed Tommies, and, as luck would have it, the men were chatting about the ten-pound prize for capturing these same fellows, and their mouths were watering at the picture that each one of them was painting of what he would do if he only had the prize. "I'll tell 'e what it is," said one, "if my blinkers falls on them chaps I'll wet the whole damned outfit!" As they entered, the soldier's eye went over the room and lit on the very men in question, seated by themselves in a little side room of the inn. In a low tone he communicated his thought to his companions. "Blime me, I'll eat your mother-in-law if there ain't our meat!" There was about 20 in the bunch, and they did not waste time in consultation. At once they were in the anteroom, confronting these men. "What do you want?" gruffly asked the Major. "We have to come to tell you, sir, that the O.C. wants to see you and the Captain at once." "All right, tell your O.C. we will be over directly." "'E wants you now, sir." "Well, didn't you hear me say we'd be over there shortly?" "Yes, sir." "Well, damn you, tell him so, and I'll see that you are taken care of for your impertinence." "I don't mean to be impertinent, sir, but I'm here to see that you come and come now." Like a flash both men drew their revolvers, but before they had a chance to use them, the entire bunch was on top of them, and it was a somewhat mussed up Major and Captain that appeared before the O.C. at the headquarters of the Tommies who sleuthed them. The intuition of the soldier proved correct; with absolute certainty he had falconed his prey and the prize was his. And he was as good as his word. What that bunch didn't have to eat and drink while the money lasted wasn't purchaseable at the front. CHAPTER XVII VIMY