They watched him rather curiously, for it was not customary to bring a dispatch-rider from such a distance when there were others available in the neighborhood.

He was the second sensation of that memorable night, for scarcely two hours before General Pershing himself had arrived and he was at that very minute in conference with other officers in the little red brick cottage.

Even as the group of soldiers clustered about the rider, officers hurried in and out with maps, and one young fellow, an aviator apparently, suddenly emerged and hurried away.
"What's going to be doing ?" Tom asked, taking notice of all these activities and speaking in his dull way.
Evidently the boys had already taken his measure and formulated their policy, for one answered, "Peace has been declared and they're trying to decide whether we'd better take Berlin or have it sent C.O.D." "A soldier I met a couple of miles back," said Tom, "told me to tell you to give 'em Hell." It was characteristic of him that although he never used profanity he delivered the soldier's message exactly as it had been given him..