Much disgusted with himself over the false "scoop," Stubbs had left Versailles, more to escape the jibes of his fellow war correspondents than for any other reason.
The afternoon of November 11 found him again in Soissons, where he had parted from Hal and Chester several days before. The little man was very morose, and not without reason. So far he had received no reply from his cablegram to The Gazette, announcing that the previous information was untrue; but he was expecting an answer momentarily.
And at last it came. It read like this.
"Your error made us ridiculous. Sending man to relieve you. In meantime, depend upon you to keep us posted."
"Oh, I'll keep them posted, all right," said Stubbs, "but it won't do me any good now."
It was late in the afternoon when Stubbs ran into Hal and Chester, who had recently left Marshal Foch after reporting to the latter on their return from Hirson, where the armistice had been signed.
"Why, hello, Mr. Stubbs," said Chester. "What are you doing here? I thought you were in Versailles."
"I was," said Stubbs, "but I didn't stay very long."
"What's the reason for your return here?" demanded Hal. "I thought you wanted to be where you could save time when you got word of the signing of the armistice."
"I did," said Stubbs, "and that's the trouble. I got word two days ago that the armistice had been signed."
"But it hadn't," said Chester.
"Oh, I know that now," said Stubbs sorrowfully, "but it would have saved me a lot of worry had I known it then."
"You don't mean to tell me that you filed that dispatch to your paper, Mr. Stubbs," said Hal.
"I did," replied Stubbs briefly.
"Great Scott! Then it's a wonder you haven't been fired by this time."
"I have," said Stubbs, briefly again.
"What?" exclaimed Chester. "Fired from The Gazette, Mr. Stubbs?"
"Exactly; and I don't blame The Gazette, either."
"But how on earth did you come to file such a report?"
"Because I had it from a source that should have been authentic."
"From whom, may I ask?"
"Admiral W——"
"But the admiral should have known better," said Hal.
"Maybe he should have," said Stubbs; "trouble is he didn't."
"Now that's too bad, Stubbs," declared Chester sympathetically. "I'm certainly sorry."
"So am I," declared Stubbs grimly. "But that's the trouble with the newspaper game. You never get any credit for what you do, but you are always due for a wigging any time something goes wrong."
"And I suppose The Gazette put out an extra," remarked Hal.
"I'm dead sure of it," replied Stubbs grimly. "Here, look at this cable I just received."
Hal read the cablegram and then passed it to Chester.
"Pretty tough, Mr. Stubbs," said Chester, after scanning it hastily. "Now, isn't there anything you can do to redeem yourself?"
"Nothing that I can think of," was the reply, "unless I could be fortunate enough to get first word of the real signing of the armistice."
Hal and Chester both expressed their surprise.
"Great Scott, Mr. Stubbs!" said Chester, "didn't you know the armistice had been signed?"
"No, I didn't know it," declared Stubbs, "have you heard anything about it?"
"Have we?" exclaimed Hal. "Why, man, we were there when it was signed."
"Now listen here, Hal," said Stubbs, "I've been in hot water once. I don't want to get back there again."
"But I'm telling you facts, Mr. Stubbs," declared Hal. "The armistice has been signed. Chester and I were there when General Herwigs and four other German delegates affixed their signatures."
"Are you telling me the truth?" demanded Stubbs excitedly.
"The absolute truth, Mr. Stubbs," said Chester.
Stubbs looked at them closely.
"By Jove! I believe you are," he ejaculated at last. "And has this fact become generally known?"
"I don't see why it hasn't," replied Hal. "The armistice becomes effective at 11 o'clock to-morrow."
"Funny some of the other correspondents haven't heard of it," mumbled Stubbs to himself. "Some of them returned to Soissons with me."
"Well, you'd better get busy, Mr. Stubbs," said Hal, "or they will beat you to it."
"Then upon your advice," said Stubbs, "I'll get busy. Come with me, boys, and tell me what you can on the way. Hurry now."
Stubbs set out at a rapid pace for the nearest cable office, Hal and Chester at his heels.
Now, as it chanced, there was but one place in Soissons where, due to war conditions, a cable dispatch could be filed. The wire from there led direct to Versailles, where messages were relayed. It was the only possible means of communication with the outside world outside of military lines.
At the door of the cable office, Stubbs encountered Jennings, correspondent of The New York World, who had returned to Soissons at the same time Stubbs had.
"Hello, Stubbs," he grinned. "Armistice signed again? I see you're headed for the cable office."
"Never mind, Jennings," said Stubbs. "You think the laugh's on your side now. Maybe it won't be later."
"Perhaps not," Jennings admitted, "but if I were you, I'd be almighty careful of the next dispatch I sent The Gazette. Chances are your people will not relish being fooled a second time."
Now Stubbs was well aware of the fact that it would be possible for only one message to be sent out of Soissons at a time. So he said:
"Jennings, you have been pretty decent to me, so if you'll come along I'll do you a favor."
Jennings looked at Stubbs peculiarly.
"Something up?" he demanded.
"Considerable," returned Stubbs.
"Then I'll go along," said Jennings. "I haven't anything else to do."
He accompanied Stubbs and the two lads into the cable office.
"Now, Jennings," said Stubbs, "I'm not going to tell you what's up until I have filed my dispatch. But you'll have the next chance at the wire."
"Fair enough," said Jennings smiling. "I guess your stuff is not so awfully hot."
"Maybe not," said Stubbs. "Wait."
Briefly he scribbled on a cable blank, and passed the message to the operator. What he wrote was this:
"Armistice signed this P.M. at Hirson by General Foch, General Herwigs, representing Chancellor Ebert, and four other delegates. Information absolutely authentic. Trust me this time."
"Now," he said, turning to Jennings, "I'll tell you my news."
"Let's have it," said Jennings, somewhat indifferently.
"The armistice has been signed."
Jennings started, then recovered himself.
"That's what you said before," he declared with a grin. "Guess I'd better wait and get my information first-handed."
"That's what I've done this trip," replied Stubbs calmly.
"What do you mean?"
"Why," said Stubbs, "my friends here, Majors Paine and Crawford, were at Hirson when the armistice was signed this afternoon."
Jennings wheeled on the two lads, his face flushed with excitement.
"Is that true?" he demanded.
"Absolutely," said Hal.
Without further words, Jennings rushed toward the operator. But Stubbs was ahead of him.
"Hold on, now," said the little man. "I'm first at this wire, and I haven't finished my message yet."
"Hurry then," said Jennings, "and give me a chance."
"You stick close," said Stubbs, "and you shall have the second chance at the wire. But I haven't half finished yet."
"Great Scott, man! You've sent your flash, haven't you?"
"Yes; but I want to add a few details."
"Well, let me get in a few words ahead and I'll gladly relinquish the wire again."
"Not much," said Stubbs. "I have the wire now and I intend to keep it for the next hour if I have to file the first chapter of Genesis."
"Stubbs," pleaded Jennings, "don't be a hog. I've got to get word to The World. You know that."
"Then you should have got your own information," declared Stubbs.
Meantime, the little war correspondent had been scribbling busily, from time to time passing sheets of paper to the operator, who sat with his hand on the key.
Suddenly there was the sound of confusion without. A moment later half a dozen men rushed into the room. Stubbs smiled, as he recognized other war correspondents.
"I'm a little ahead of you, fellows," he said good-naturedly. "Now, I intend to keep this wire for the next hour. Then I shall release it to Jennings here. He'll probably do his best for you."
The other correspondents smiled sickly smiles. They were beaten and they knew it. True to his words, Stubbs ceased writing an hour later and Jennings captured the wire. Stubbs turned to Hal and Chester.
"Come," he said, "let's be moving. I think I have redeemed myself."
And he had, as later events were to prove; for The New York Gazette was the first paper in America to announce the fact that the armistice had been signed.