The latter took particular note of the Long 3's, as they were known technically. There were forty-two. Eight howitzers were under cover at one end of the line, as well as three mounted, heavy-calibre guns, which Ralph judged might be at least eight-inch bore. He entered the sheet-iron warehouse at the end of the field, as the peddler emerged from it at a side door. Within was stored an immense quantity of trench equipments, a row of newly devised bomb-throwers being conspicuously displayed at one end of the warehouse. Ralph counted them. "There are certainly more than a hundred; I may have missed some of them," he remarked to himself. As he marched across the open space to the stand which had been selected as the meeting place, he saw Alfred awaiting him. The latter seemed to be greatly excited, and the moment Ralph was sighted he ran over. "Do you know who is at the hangar?" he said. "No; I can't guess," answered Ralph. "Joe; don't you remember Joe; the American that we made our first flight with up at Dunkirk? He is over at the hangar and wants to see you," said Alfred. "All right; let's go over," replied Ralph. "But did you count them?" "No; but Joe gave me the information; eight Sopwith tractors, ten Bristols, and six B. E.'s, all set up. Tomorrow they will unpack eight more Sopwiths and six Bristols. That makes a total of thirty-nine," was Alfred's answer. "What do you think? That fellow was coming out of the warehouse the minute I got there. Do you suppose he thought there was any peddling business over there?" said Ralph with some determination in his voice. CHAPTER VIII THE SPIES IN THE CAMP "By jing! I'm awfully glad to see you," said Joe, as the boys appeared. "Excuse me for not shaking with the right hand, but that is out of commission, and the left is not much better. And how have you been? Oh, I heard all about you. Lieutenant Guyon! poor fellow! he was a brick; sure enough. Too bad he had such a weak heart! That's what did him up. Say, do you know when we got the first reports we understood that both of you went under; and say; did you ever get hold of any of the New York papers that wrote you up? Fine obituaries! Makes a fellow feel good to read about yourself after you're dead. I have some notices of the same kind about myself." Ralph and Alfred laughed, as Joe rattled on. "But tell me," he continued, "what have you been doing the past six months?" "Why, we've been in the artillery service," said Ralph. Joe arose and looked at them straight and hard, as he replied: "Artillery service? You don't mean it? And where?" he asked. "Directly east of Amiens. We just came out of the hospital," said Alfred. "Out of the hospital? Were you in the big drive? Wasn't that a dandy? So you got peppered up there, eh?" he asked. "Well, yes; we were in that from the first; but they never touched us; we got hurt after the battle was over; accidental bomb explosion on the battlefield," replied Ralph.