unster, and motioning his porter to wait, crossed to the
edge of the track and addressed him.

"Can I speak to you for a moment, sir?"

Mr. John P. Dunster turned at once and faced his questioner. He did so
without haste--with a certain deliberation, in fact--yet his eyes
were suddenly bright and keen. He was neatly dressed, with the quiet
precision which seems as a rule to characterise the travelling American.
He was apparently of a little less than middle-age, clean-shaven,
broad-shouldered, with every appearance of physical strength. He seemed
like a man on wires, a man on the alert, likely to miss nothing.

"Are you Mr. John P. Dunster?" the youth asked.

"I carry my visiting-card in my hand, sir," the other replied, swinging
his dressing-case around. "My name is John P. Dunster."

The young man's expression was scarcely ingratiating. To a natural
sullenness was added now the nervous distaste of one who approaches a
disagreeable task.

"I want, if I may, to ask you a favour," he continued. "If you don't
feel like granting it, please say no and I'll be off at once. I am on my
way to The Hague. I was to have gone by the boat train which left half
an hour ago. I had taken a seat, and they assured me that the train
would not leave for at least ten minutes, as the mails weren't in. I
went down the platform to buy some papers and stood talking for a moment
or two with a man whom I know. I suppose I must have been longer than
I thought, or they must have been quicker than they expected with the
mailbags. Anyhow, when I came back the train was moving. They would
not let me jump in. I could have done it easily, but that fool of an
inspector over there held me."

"They are very strict in this country, I know."

Mr. Dunster agreed, without change of expression. "Please go on."

"I saw you arrive--just too late for the train. While I was swearing
at the inspector, I heard you speak to the station-master. Since then I
have made inquiries. I understand that you have ordered a special train
to Harwich."

Mr. John P. Dunster said nothing, only his keen, clear eyes seemed all
the time to be questioning this gloomy-looking but apparently harmless
young man.

"I went to the station-master's office," the latter continued, "and
tried to persuade them to let me ride in the guard's van of your
special, but he made a stupid fuss about it, so I thought I'd better
come to you. Can I beg a seat in your compartment, or anywhere in