e of commonsense. I know there's a foreigner coming on board
the night, a baron and a dissipated man----"

"Come, now,'" said Lord Dunseverick, "you can't be sure that Von
Edelstein is dissipated. You've never met him."

"He's a foreigner and a baron," said McMunn, "and that's enough for me,
forbye that he's coming here under very suspicious circumstances. If
I can get the better of him by means of strong drink and the snare of
alcoholic liquors----"

"Good Lord!" said Lord Dunseverick. "You don't expect to make a German
drunk with half a dozen bottles of lager beer, particularly as Ginty and
I mean to drink two each."

"There's a dozen in the basket. And, under the circumstances, I consider
myself justified I'm no man for tricks, but if there's any tricks to be
played, I'd rather play them myself than have them played on me. Mind
that now. It's the way I've always acted, and it's no a bad way."

"Gosh," said Ginty, "there's somebody coming aboard of us now. The
look-out man's hailing him."

He left the cabin as he spoke.

A few minutes later Ginty entered the cabin again. He was followed by
a tall man, so tall that he could not stand quite upright in the little
cabin.

"It's the baron," said Ginty.

"_Guten Abend_," said McMunn.

He possessed some twenty more German words, and knew that "beer" was
represented by the same sound as in English. The equipment seemed to him
sufficient for the interview.

"I have the good fortune to speak English easily," said Von Edelstein.
"Am I addressing myself to Mr. McMunn?"

"Ay," said McMunn, "you are. And this is Lord Dunseverick, a baron like
yourself."

Von Edelstein bowed, and held out his hand.

"I prefer," he said, "my military title, Captain von Edelstein. I
believe that Lord Dunseverick also has a military title. Should I say
colonel?"

"As a matter of fact," said Lord Dunseverick, "I'm not in the Army."

"I understand," said Von Edelstein. "You are in the Volunteers, the
Ulster Volunteers. But, perhaps I should say general?"

"I don't call myself that," said Lord Dunseverick.

"As a matter of fact, my rank is not officially recognized, in England,
I mean."

"Ah, but here--we recognize it I assure you, general, we regard the
Ulster Volunteers as a properly constituted military force."

McMunn had been groping in a locker behind him. He interrupted Von
Edelstein by setting a basket on the table.

"Beer," he said.

Von Edelstein bowed, and sat down