GREAT PREPARATIONS

Watching him from the security of their trench, Ned, Bob, and Jerry, their comrades, and the officers on duty, could scarcely believe their eyes as they saw what had happened. Yet there was no delusion about it. Professor Snodgrass, rashly venturing across No Man’s Land toward the German trenches, was coming back and with three prisoners. As Bob said afterward, it was like the advertisements of the circus which boasted of three rings and innumerable clowns.

“Three prisoners! Count ’em. Three!” Bob yelled.

“Well, for the love of hot chocolate!” cried Jerry, “what does it mean?”

“Search me!” answered Ned, succinctly. “Looks as if he had ’em hypnotized!”

And so it did, for the Huns, as they came nearer, wore on their faces looks of stupefied astonishment.

Straight for the trench where his young friends were, Professor Snodgrass marched his prisoners. He was in great danger, but he did not seem to mind that, or even be aware of it. Doubtless it was the latter, but, as a matter of fact, he was within range of the big guns, as well as within shot of rifles or machine guns.

Of course, though, had the Germans opened fire on the professor from their trenches, they would have run the chance of killing their own three men, captives though the latter were. And, too, had the Huns fired there would have at once been answering fire from the Americans, for the latter gunners were always on the alert, and once word was passed up and down the line that the little “bug-hunter” was out in No Man’s Land, every man who knew or who had heard of him was ready with his rifle Ned, Bob and Jerry among them ready to take full toll in revenge had he been fired on.

But the German trenches were silent, and for good reason, as was learned later, so the professor marched on with his prisoners, the latter never once looking behind them, but walking with their hands high in the air.

And the little scientist was as unconcerned as though he was on his return from some insect-hunting trip. His appearance was a bit unusual, though, and Ned commented on it.

“What’s that thing on his back?” asked the stout lad.

“Looks like a magnified haversack of new design,” replied Ned.

“The professor hasn’t enlisted, has he?” some one asked Jerry. “Not but what he’d make a fine soldier,” was the added comment.

“No, I can’t imagine what he has on,” Jerry answered. “We’ll soon find out, though.”

On came the professor, and when he had his prisoners at the edge of the first American trench he exclaimed, with a twinkle in his eyes:

“Here you are! Make yourselves at home! Will some one please take charge of er these specimens?” asked the little scientist, and again his eyes twinkled as he looked at the lieutenant who was in command just then.

“Great guns, man alive! Did you go out to get them?” asked the officer.

Well, not exactly, was the reply. These men tried to interfere with me in my work, and I simply told them to mind their own business and get out of the way. Bringing them over here seemed the easiest way to get rid of them, so I marched them along. Now I will go back and finish

“Oh, no! Excuse me for seeming to be brusk and arbitrary,” said the lieutenant smiling, “but I can’t permit you to go back. For our own sake, as well as yours. You might precipitate a general engagement, and while we’re not running away from anything like that, we are not looking for it just now. Please stay here.”

“Very well, I will,” mildly agreed the professor. “Perhaps I can as well continue my studies here. But what shall I do with my my specimens?” and he nodded toward the Germans.

The prisoners were still standing with uplifted hands, gazing at the professor as if the issue of life and death depended on him as far as they were concerned.

“Tell them they may put down their hands,” begged the professor of the lieutenant. “They’re in your charge now, and you had better give them orders. Besides, I don’t speak their language very well.”

“Then how in the world did you get them to surrender?” asked the officer. “How did you, alone, without a gun or a sword, or even a hand grenade, capture three Germans?”

“Well, I fancy it was due to this,” and the professor motioned to the strange contrivance on his back. “I threatened them with total annihilation if they didn’t do as I said and march for these trenches, and they did. Whether they understood me or not I don’t know. But up went their hands and on they came.”

“Yes, they came on all right,” said the lieutenant. “We saw that. But still I don’t understand.”

At this one of the prisoners spoke.

“Haf ve der lieutnant’s bermission to lower our hants?” he asked, speaking with a deep, guttural accent.

“Yes,” said the officer curtly. “But first we’ll search you. Go through them,” he ordered one of his men, and when an automatic pistol and several hand grenades had been taken from each of the prisoners, their hands were allowed to come down. They uttered sighs of relief.

“Now, how did it happen?” went on the officer.

“Ve surrender to suberior force, und dot iss no disgrace,” said the German soldier who had first spoken. “Ven ve saw der little man ve try to capture him. But he turned on us, und by der vot you call machine on his back mit total destruction threatened us. As ve did not vant to die vell, ve surrendered. Dot’s all!”

“Ja!” murmured his two companions.

“Yes, I guess that is all,” said the lieutenant, smiling grimly. “Take ’em to the rear, to the temporary prisoner-cage,” he ordered one of his men. And then, when the Germans, with a last wondering and fearful look at the professor, had gone, the lieutenant, turning to the scientist, asked with a smile:

“What sort of infernal machine have you there, anyhow? Does it generate a new kind of gas?”

The professor laughed and unslung the apparatus from his back, where it was carried by means of straps, like those on a haversack.

“No, it isn’t a gas machine,” he said. “It’s just a little apparatus for taking moving pictures of insects. It’s as harmless as the chocolate sodas my friend Bob likes so well. I got it up to take views of grasshoppers and crickets, and I wanted to get some pictures this morning of those insects showing them as they hopped about normally. Then, later, I intended to set the machine out in the open space, and leave it there when heavy firing was going on. I hoped to get contrasting pictures then, and show the effect, if any, of the sound of big guns on the creatures. But those Germans spoiled my plans.”

“And I fancy you spoiled theirs,” said the lieutenant with a laugh. “So you threatened them with your moving-picture machine, did you?”

“Yes, I couldn’t think of anything else to do when I saw them confronting me. So I yelled that my machine was a new product of the war, and that unless they did exactly as I said I would at once destroy them, even down to their finger nails, by a blast of terrible fire from the machine. Fortunately they understood my very poor German, mixed with English as it was.”

“Yes, very fortunately,” said the lieutenant. “We saw them drop their guns and raise their hands, and couldn’t understand. But your machine, harmless as it is, doubtless impressed them as very dangerous.”

When Ned, Bob, and Jerry, as well as the others, looked at the apparatus, they could understand why an ignorant man, accustomed to obey and do no thinking, took the picture machine for some terrible engine of war. The Motor Boys themselves had not seen it before, as the professor carried it in sections in his luggage, and had only fitted it together and used it that day.

It consisted of a black box, with numerous wires, wheels, levers and projecting tubes. These latter contained lenses and shutters, but the Germans must have imagined devastating fire could spout from them. And so they had surrendered.

“But I can’t understand why the others in the trenches didn’t open fire on you,” said the officer.

They learned, later, the reason for this. It was because the Germans had retired from that particular part of the line. Whether for strategic reasons, or otherwise, could not be learned, but the three prisoners admitted that they, alone, had been left in the trench.

Their orders were to remain quiet, and not to attack, but if the Americans came out of their trenches in force the German sentries were to fire their rifles, as many hand grenades and machine-gun rounds as possible, and then retreat, if they could, to the next line of trenches.

But when Professor Snodgrass approached the lines alone, the Germans, instead of firing, thought they would capture him, and so the trio advanced stealthily on the scientist. The result has been seen.

“Well, it was a great piece of work,” declared the lieutenant. “Not only the capture, but because we learned that the Germans are falling back. This may change our plans somewhat. I must report to headquarters. And you, Professor Snodgrass, had better come with me.”

“But what about my insects?”

“They will have to wait, I’m afraid. Besides, there will be no heavy firing now. Later well, I’m afraid I can’t tell you of that now. It’s a secret. But I think you’ll soon have a chance to hear all the heavy firing you want.”

“I wonder what he meant?” asked Ned, of his chums, as the professor, returning his “infernal” insect moving-picture machine to his quarters went away with the officer.

“Maybe we’re going to make a big attack,” suggested Bob.

“Perhaps,” assented Jerry. “I heard some rumors of it. Well, we’ll have to wait and see.”

They did not have to wait long, for that day began preparations which, to those who understood, indicated that a great attack was imminent.

Great stores of shell and ammunition were brought up under cover of darkness to the firing line. Big guns were shifted in position and well camouflaged. And there also arrived at the front where the Motor Boys were stationed several batteries of those wonderful French seventy-fives, those guns which did so much to win the war, the secret of which the Germans tried in vain to learn.

It was after several days of hard work, during which they saw little of Professor Snodgrass, that Bob, seeking out his chums one afternoon, said:

“Guess what’s up!”

“Can’t,” Ned replied.

“Go on! Tell us!” cried Jerry.

“We’re going to have a lot of doughnuts and chocolate candy!” cried Bob.

“Doughnuts!” shouted Jerry.

“Chocolate!” echoed Ned. “Where is it?”

“Safe,” laughed Chunky. “I struck a Salvation Army man with an extra supply and I took all he’d give me. They’re hidden in the trench, near where we go on duty, and to-night we’ll have a feast!”

“Good for you, Chunky!” cried Jerry. “I always said you were all right!”

“Same here!” added Ned.

And that night, when the three chums were about to go on duty in the dismal trenches, Bob led them to a little place he had hollowed out under a rock, and lined with boards. It was a hiding place known to all three.

“We can stick the stuff in our pockets,” he said, “and eat it when we get hungry. Things are so upset, getting ready for a big offensive, I guess, that maybe the rations won’t come up on time. But we’ll be fixed, anyhow.”

He opened the secret place, and then, as he reached his hand in and drew it out empty, a queer look came over his face.

“What’s the matter?” asked Jerry.

“It’s gone!” faltered Bob.

Consternation showed on the faces of all three. Ned and Jerry made a careful examination of the hiding place after Bob. There was no doubt of it the treasure was gone! And sweets were really a treasure to the men in the trenches.

“Who took ’em?” faltered Bob.

Jerry looked about, flashed his electric pocket lamp, for the trenches were in the shadow now. Suddenly he picked up a knife, and, as he held it in his hand, he exclaimed:

“Noddy Nixon’s! He’s been up to his rotten tricks again!”