CHAPTER IX UGLY THREATS Roger and Jimmy looked at one another. The face of Roger was a bit serious as Signaler Anson shook his head and repeated: "It'll go hard with the fellows, whoever they are, who were responsible for the Bixtons' cousin going to jail." "So you think it wouldn't be wise for the two lads who exposed Mike Bixton to let their identity be known to the two Bixtons in your signal corps, do you?" Jimmy asked. "I'm positive it wouldn't be a bit wise," declared Anson. "But I guess it won't ever be known who those two fellows were." "Oh, it might be," replied Jimmy easily. "No, sir!" declared Anson. "That is, it won't if it's up to the fellows themselves to make their identity known. They'll lie low if they're wise and not give themselves away to these Bixton lads. They're fighters, I tell you, these two fellows--and bad fighters at that." "Well, so are we!" exclaimed Jimmy, and in such a tone that Anson looked curiously at him, and asked: "What do you mean? By any chance are you----" "Yes, we're the two fellows who had a hand in putting Mike Bixton where he belongs," declared Jimmy. "Blaise is my name, and this is Roger Barlow," and he nodded at his chum. "He and I," he went on, "did the most, I suppose, in finding out Mike Bixton's mean tricks and exposing him. Of course, others helped us, but we did the most. And I am glad we did. I'd do it over again if I had to! This Bixton was one of the meanest sneaks that ever came over the pike! He tried to put the blame for a rotten trick on one of our friends. But his plan didn't work! Jail is too good a place for Mike Bixton." "And are you really the fellows who put him there?" asked Anson. "We two!" declared Roger, backing up his chum. "I wouldn't have believed it!" confessed Anson. "I mean you look like peaceable chaps," he added. "Oh, we can fight when we have to," said Jimmy, with a laugh. "And another thing. If these two Bixtons here want to know who it was that sent their cousin to jail, just refer them to us. If----" At that moment Anson looked over Jimmy's head and what he saw seemed to astonish him He made a frantic sign to Jimmy Blaise, but that lad, uncomprehending, went on saying: "If these Bixtons here want to know who sent their cousin to jail, tell them we did--Roger Barlow and Jimmy Blaise, both sergeants in the 509th Infantry. Tell 'em that!" "You can tell 'em yourself," said Anson, with a queer grin on his face. "There the two Bixtons are, right behind you!" Jimmy wheeled, to see the two soldiers he had noticed in the dugout confronting him. At least, he was almost certain they were the same ones, though, as he admitted later, he might have been mistaken. But there was no mistaking the fact now that the two Bixtons were ugly-looking chaps. They scowled at Jimmy and Roger, and Aleck advanced threateningly. "Did you say your name was Blaise?" he asked Jimmy. "Yes," was the quiet answer. "And his name is Barlow?"