"I did," said Stubbs, "and that’s the trouble. I got word two days ago that the armistice had been signed." "But it hadn’t," said Chester. "Oh, I know that now," said Stubbs sorrowfully, "but it would have saved me a lot of worry had I known it then." "You don’t mean to tell me that you filed that dispatch to your paper, Mr. Stubbs," said Hal. "I did," replied Stubbs briefly. "Great Scott! Then it’s a wonder you haven’t been fired by this time." "I have," said Stubbs, briefly again. "What?" exclaimed Chester. "Fired from The Gazette, Mr. Stubbs?" "Exactly; and I don’t blame The Gazette, either." "But how on earth did you come to file such a report?" "Because I had it from a source that should have been authentic." "From whom, may I ask?" "Admiral W——" "But the admiral should have known better," said Hal. "Maybe he should have," said Stubbs; "trouble is he didn’t." "Now that’s too bad, Stubbs," declared Chester sympathetically. "I’m certainly sorry." "So am I," declared Stubbs grimly. "But that’s the trouble with the newspaper game. You never get any credit for what you do, but you are always due for a wigging any time something goes wrong." "And I suppose The Gazette put out an extra," remarked Hal. "I’m dead sure of it," replied Stubbs grimly. "Here, look at this cable I just received." Hal read the cablegram and then passed it to Chester. "Pretty tough, Mr. Stubbs," said Chester, after scanning it hastily. "Now, isn’t there anything you can do to redeem yourself?" "Nothing that I can think of," was the reply, "unless I could be fortunate enough to get first word of the real signing of the armistice." Hal and Chester both expressed their surprise. "Great Scott, Mr. Stubbs!" said Chester, "didn’t you know the armistice had been signed?" "No, I didn’t know it," declared Stubbs, "have you heard anything about it?" "Have we?" exclaimed Hal. "Why, man, we were there when it was signed." "Now listen here, Hal," said Stubbs, "I’ve been in hot water once. I don’t want to get back there again." "But I’m telling you facts, Mr. Stubbs," declared Hal. "The armistice has been signed. Chester and I were there when General Herwigs and four other German delegates affixed their signatures." "Are you telling me the truth?" demanded Stubbs excitedly. "The absolute truth, Mr. Stubbs," said Chester. Stubbs looked at them closely. "By Jove! I believe you are," he ejaculated at last. "And has this fact become generally known?" "I don’t see why it hasn’t," replied Hal. "The armistice becomes effective at 11 o’clock to-morrow." "Funny some of the other correspondents haven’t heard of it," mumbled Stubbs to himself. "Some of them returned to Soissons with me." "Well, you’d better get busy, Mr. Stubbs," said Hal, "or they will beat you to it." "Then upon your advice," said Stubbs, "I’ll get busy. Come with me, boys, and tell me what you can on the way. Hurry now."