Part 8 (2/2)

”A trifle,” returned Chester.

”Any fever?” asked Stubbs.

”No,” said Hal. ”Why?”

”Why? He's dreaming things. What's this conspiracy he's talking about?”

Chester sat up in his cot.

”You don't mean to tell me you don't remember what you told us about it?”

he demanded.

Stubbs tapped his head with a significant gesture and nodded to Hal.

”Did you have a surgeon look at him?” he asked.

”Look here, Stubbs--” began Chester angrily.

”Here, here,” interposed Hal. ”You lie down there, Chester. I'll talk to our friend here.”

At this Mr. Stubbs moved toward the outside.

”I've got to be going now,” he announced.

”Well, you're not going to go until you tell me what all this foolishness is about,” declared Hal.

”Foolishness?”

”Yes, foolishness. You can't deny, can you, that you told us the other night you had unearthed a conspiracy of some kind?”

”I can,” said Stubbs, ”but I won't. It's my belief that there is something wrong with both of you. What would I know about a conspiracy?”

”That's what I would like to know,” returned Chester, from his cot.

”If you won't tell us, I've a notion to tell General Petain what you told us.”

”I wouldn't if I were you,” said Stubbs. ”It wouldn't do you any good. He probably would think your wound had affected your mind.

That's what I think.”

”Oh, no you don't,” said Hal. ”You are just trying to keep the thing to yourself, whatever it is. Maybe you're going to slip it by the censor to the _Gazette_, eh?”

Stubbs made no reply.

”If I thought that, I would tell General Petain,” declared Chester.

”It must be a great thing to have such imaginations,” said Stubbs with something like a sigh. ”Some of these days, if you like, I'll get you both jobs on the _Gazette_.”

”Now look here, Stubbs,” said Hal. ”Laying all joking aside, are you going to tell us about this thing or not?”

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