{"product_id":"2940148985334","title":"Our Young Aeroplane Scouts in Germany (Illustrated)","description":"\"\"Hold on there, I want a word with you!\"\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBilly Barry and Henri Trouville, the Boy Aviators, were in the act of climbing into a superb military biplane on the great parade ground at Hamburg when thus hailed by a mild looking man in citizen's attire, with face half-hidden by a slouch hat and a pair of huge, horn-rimmed spectacles.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere was a note of authority in that voice, gently tuned as it was, and behind those spectacles were a pair of eyes as keen as gimlet points.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe speaker was none other than Roque, the noted secret agent—\"\"Herr Roque,\"\" if you please, fitting into his masquerade as a merchant having contract business with the authorities of the canvas city of aëroplane hangars.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\"Come over to quarters for a few moments, young sirs, won't you?\"\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe polite manner of request was for the benefit of the bystanders, who had been awaiting the[4] flying exhibit, but the slight gesture that went with the words indicated a command to Billy and Henri.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThey knew Roque!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHeinrich Hume, aviation lieutenant, who usually had a good deal to say on those grounds, made no more protest than a clam at this interruption of a special aëroplane test. He simply waved two other aviators on duty into the machine, as Billy and Henri marched meekly away with the imitation merchant.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhile many of the spectators marveled at the apparent breach of discipline, the lieutenant was content to let them wonder. At least, he offered no explanation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBilly and Henri did a lot of thinking as they crossed the parade ground—there must be something brewing, or Roque would not have been so impatient as to invade the parade ground at the time he did.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRoque conducted the boys into Lieutenant Hume's private office at headquarters, closed and locked the door behind them.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRemoving his spectacles, and throwing his slouch hat among the maps that littered a big table in the center of the room, the secret agent at the same time changed his form of address—the oily manner was succeeded by abrupt and stern speech, which showed the real man of brain and unlimited authority.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[5]\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe secret agent had seated himself, without invitation to the boys to do likewise. They stood, facing the real Roque they knew by former experience.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\"Where is Ardelle?\"\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRoque put the question like a pistol shot, and fiercely eyed the youngsters before him.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe point-blank query failed to reach the mark intended.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBilly looked at Henri and Henri looked at Billy, and then they both looked at Roque with never even a quiver of an eyelash. They had not comprehended what was behind the dreaded agent's snapshot at their nerves. The truth of the matter was, they did not know anybody by the name of \"\"Ardelle.\"\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo Billy, with a bold front, remarked: \"\"You can't prove it by us, sir. Mr. Ardelle is not in our list of friends.\"\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\"None of that!\"\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRoque pointed a menacing finger at the astonished pair of youngsters.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\"I have it beyond doubt that Ardelle was on these very grounds a day or two ago, and by the word of a man who could not be mistaken. Fool that he was not to be sure at the time, and only the garb of a sailor to mislead him.\"\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThen it jointly dawned upon the minds of Billy and Henri that Anglin, the smiling secretary of the[6] eminent director of affairs at Calais, and later in the rôle of a bubbling sailor here in faraway Hamburg, must be the Ardelle about whom Roque was talking.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThey realized, too, that through their boyish delight in lending aid and a helping hand to one they had known in intimate association with that best of friends in France, they had unconsciously maneuvered themselves into a dangerous game, a slip in which meant a dance with death.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA tissue message from this very suspect that Roque was so eager to apprehend even then burned against the breast of Henri, a little wad of paper that now represented the price of the world to a pair of bright boys.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCondemned of mixing in the battle of wits between the grim Roque and his strongest wily rival from over the sea, and it were better that the young aviators had tumbled from their aëroplane during the last high flight.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut those who traveled in spirit with Billy Barry, the boy from Bangor, Maine, U. S. A., and his plucky teammate, Henri Trouville, in France and Belgium, can assure that it is no easy task to catch this pair napping.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe courage tempered by that first and continuous baptism of fire was good steel for any emergency.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRoque owned to himself that his quickfire had[7] failed to get results. His informant, himself just returning from a secret mission on hostile soil, had noted the movements of the sailor suspect on the aviation exhibit day, and also the attitude of Henri at the moment when the message was passed","brand":"Lost Leaf Publications","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47163223245040,"sku":"2940148985334","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940148985334_p0.jpg?v=1763711282","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940148985334","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}