down to stretch my legs. I understood them to say that
we could not go on for half an hour or so. They never tried to stop my
getting down, and then off they went without any warning, and left me
there."

"I will translate to the officer, sir," the man said.

"Right!" Guy declared. "Go ahead."

There was a brisk colloquy between the two. Then the little man began
again.

"He says that your train passed here at midnight, and that you did not
arrive until past six."

"Quite right!" Guy admitted. "I went to sleep. I didn't know how far it
was to the station, and I was dead tired."

"The officer wishes to know whether many trains passed you in the
night?"

"Can't say," Guy answered. "I sleep very soundly, and I never opened my
eyes after the first few minutes."

"The officer wishes to know whether you saw anything unusual upon the
line?" the little man asked.

"Nothing at all," Guy answered coolly. "Bit inquisitive, isn't he?"

The little man came closer to the table.

"He wishes to see your passport, sir," he announced.

Guy handed it to him, also a letter of credit and several other
documents.

"He wants to know why you were going to the frontier, sir!"

"Sort of fancy to say that I'd been in Russia, that's all!" Guy
answered. "You tell him I'm a perfectly harmless individual. Never been
abroad before."

The officer listened, and took notes in his pocketbook of the passport
and letter of credit. Then he departed with a formal salute, and they
heard his horse's hoofs ring upon the road outside as he galloped away.
The little man came close up to the table.

"You'll excuse me, sir," he said, "but you seem to have upset the
officials very much by being upon the line last night. There have been
some rumors going about--but perhaps you're best not to know that. May I
give you a word of advice, sir?"

"Let me give you one," Guy declared. "Try this beer!"

"I thank you, sir," the man answered. "I will do so with pleasure. But
if you are really an ordinary tourist, sir,--as I have no doubt you
are,--let this man drive you to Streuen, and take the train for the
Austrian frontier. You may save yourself a good deal of unpleasantness."

"I'll do it!" Guy declared. "Vienna was the next place I was going to,
anyhow. You tell the fellow where to take me, will you?"

The man spoke rapidly to the driver.

"I think that you will be followed, sir," he added, turning to Guy, "but
very likely they won't interfere