"That's the first; we have accommodations for seventy-five though."

"Whew," exclaimed Bob. "Do you think there'll be much trouble with the
Germans here in High Ridge?"

"Can't say. Some of them are a crazy lot. At any rate we're ready for
'em. And what are you doing here at this time o' day anyhow? You'll be
late for school; your visiting hour here is usually in the afternoon."

"I saw that fellow on the trolley," Bob explained. "I wanted to see what
happened to him."

"Well, you better run along," advised the sergeant. "Come in and see
me later."

Bob hurried out and ran down the block toward the high school. His mind
was not on his lessons, however. War was uppermost in his thoughts, and
he still pondered over what his father had said the evening before, and
the recent arrest of the German in the trolley car. Probably after all
there was something in this scare about spies and plotters.

He arrived at school fifteen minutes late, but nothing was said to him.
School discipline was greatly relaxed that morning and instead of
recitations the first period, the principal gave a talk on patriotism and
what the declaration of war would mean. He especially warned the pupils
against acting differently toward any of their number who might be of
German blood.

"They may be just as good and loyal citizens as we are," he said. "At