check, which he passed over to his companion.

"What do they call this place, Dan?" questioned the red-haired boy as they started away.

"Café de la Paix."

"That's it. We should have known better. I see it all now. Why didn't we look at the sign over the place before we went in?"

"What do you mean?"

"Café de la Pay. That's it; that's the place."

"Sam Hickey, have you gone crazy?"

"Café de la Pay—that's the place where you pay. And we did pay. I never knew a place that was so well named," continued Sam with a sickly grin. "We paid, didn't we?"

"'Leven dollars' worth," answered Dan sheepishly. "Are you still hungry?"

"Hungry? No; I've lost my appetite; I've changed my mind. I shan't dare get another appetite while I am in Paris. Say, it's lucky they locked us up in the brig over at police headquarters, isn't it?"

"Why?"

"Because we'd be about a million dollars in debt by this time. Whew, but they've got the original get-rich-quick scheme in this burg. Come on; let's go out in the park where we will not see things to eat. They excite me too much. I'm liable to lose control of myself and eat again. If I change my mind again we're lost."

As they stepped out a group of men made a sudden rush toward them.

"Guide, guide, guide, sir—guide? Have a guide? Show you all the sights of Paris——"

"We do not wish a guide, thank you," answered Dan.

"Guide, guide, guide, guide——"

"Say, why didn't you fellows come around, last night?" demanded Sam. "We needed a guide then. We don't now. We've been guided up against pretty nearly everything that ever happened, as it is."

By this time others of the same sort had hurried to the scene. All were shouting at once. It seemed as if all the guides in Paris had congregated in front of the Café de la Paix for the sole purpose of waylaying the unsuspecting Battleship Boys.

Several guides grabbed Dan by one arm, while as many more caught hold of Sam. Now others took a hand, pulling this way and that.

"Show you everything for five dollars, that's all. Show you——"

"See here, you fellows!" demanded Hickey, whose color was rising with his temper. "I cleaned out a bunch of Apaches last night and I licked half a dozen policemen to rest myself. If you want the same kind of a hand-out just keep right on. Leggo my arms!" he roared. "Shove off!"

For an instant the men did let go.

"Give them the flying wedge, Dan!"

The boys bolted through the throng of guides, bowling two or three of them over, sprang out into the street, then ran across to the opposite side.

"Let's get out of this confounded town," grumbled Sam. "First thing you know I'll be getting into a fight. I shouldn't like to get mixed up in one, 'cause I promised the captain I'd behave myself while I was over here."

"Come along," said Dan, taking his companion by the arm. "We will go to see the sights by ourselves. I guess we shall see as much without a guide as with one. No telling what sort of trouble these fellows would get us into. I don't like their looks at all."

"They'll look worse if they ever grab hold of me that way again."

The boys hurried around a corner and down the Avenue de L'Opera. They looked very neat and well groomed in their new suits. They strolled along after getting out of sight of the guides, visiting some of the smaller parks of the city. Chancing to come across a tourist agency they bought seats on a "Seeing Paris" car, and were driven about the city with a lot of other tourists, most of whom were Americans. With some of these they got quite well acquainted.

The visitors inspected the Cathedral of Notre Dame, erected in the twelfth century; stood within the portals of the Madeleine, the famous little edifice occupied by the insurgents during the Commune, and in which building three hundred of them were shot down.

The Battleship Boys also visited many other famous churches and noted public buildings. The other Americans, having learned who the lads were, made it their business to explain to them all about the places visited, relating many interesting historical stories, some of which were already familiar to Dan Davis, who had read widely for his age.

The day that had begun so unhappily for the boys came to a close all too soon, and they decided to return to their boarding house, which was not far from where the tourist automobile stopped to discharge its passengers.

They had paid for their accommodations at the pension for the full time they expected to be in Paris, so they had no fear of being overcharged for their meals there.

The table looked most inviting as they entered the dining room, taking the places assigned to them.

The boys had just begun their dinner when they were summoned to the drawing room, where they found a foreign-looking man in livery awaiting them.

"Are you Monsieur Dan Davis?" he asked in English, but with a strong foreign accent.

"Yes, sir."

"You are to go with me, you and your friend."

"Go with you?"

"Yes, sir."

"Look out," whispered Sam. "I'll bet this is another pay-as-you-enter game; then they won't give you anything to eat after you get in."

"I do not understand you, sir. Why should we go with you?"

"The carriage awaits you at the door."

"'The carriage awaits you, sir,'" mimicked Sam, with a grimace at his companion.

"Be still, Sam. I do not understand at all what you mean, sir. Have you not made a mistake? We know no one in Paris—no one would send a carriage for us."

For answer the servant extended an envelope, bearing a coat of arms. Dan opened it wonderingly.

"Mr. Daniel Davis and Mr. Samuel Hickey are requested to dine with the Spanish ambassador, Señor Guillermo Martinez, this evening at 8.30 o'clock."

Dan opened his eyes wide when he read this, then passed the invitation to his chum. Sam perused it, cocked one eye up and winked at Dan.

"We seem to be getting quite popular. What are you going to do?"

"I do not know what it all means, but I'm going to accept the invitation, though I am not sure I am right in doing so. What do you think about it, Sam?"

"I don't think. I've gotten past thinking. Things are moving too fast for me. I'm out of commission."

"Do you know why the ambassador wishes to see us?" he asked of the servant.

"No, sir. He did not say, sir. He said he would tell you when you arrive. Will you be ready soon?"

"We are ready now. We will be with you as soon as we get our hats."

It took the lads but a few moments to make themselves ready, after which they hurried down to the street. There they found a handsome carriage, with a coachman on the box, awaiting them.

Entering, they were driven rapidly away.

"This is different," laughed Dan, settling back among the soft cushions.

"Yes; it's somewhat different from last evening," answered Sam. "We didn't have any soft things like these to sit on then."

"No; and we knew little more about what was going to happen then than we do now."

"I'm willing to take a lot of chances on this, just the same," retorted Sam, with an audible chuckle.

The carriage drove up in front of a handsome residence on the Champs Elysées, almost directly opposite the Elysée Palace Hotel, the door of the vehicle was opened and the Battleship Boys stepped out.