ified the police, who summoned the ambulance."

"I?" asked the sick man.

She nodded. "You were brought here--to the Landes Hospital in a bad
condition. The other man was dead."

"The other man--dead?"

"Yes," said the nurse, "with stab wounds in the back, and one in the
heart." She regarded her patient keenly a moment, and then went on.
"There were no marks of identification upon either of you. You were
without clothing. Following so closely upon the assassination of the
Archduke Franz and his wife, the circumstances were suspicious, and the
police of Sarajevo and the secret service officials have done all they
could to find some clew to the murderers. You see," she concluded with a
smile, "you are a man of mystery and all Sarajevo awaits your recovery."

"Oh, I see. They are waiting for me to speak?"

Number 28 lay silent, regarding the ceiling intently, frowning a little.
His mind worked slowly and Fraeulein Roth saw that he found some
difficulty in mental concentration.

"We will talk no more at present," she said firmly. "If you are no
worse--perhaps again tomorrow."

But on the following day and the next the condition of the patient was
not so favorable, for he lay in a drowsy condition and showed no
interest in anything. It seemed that the pallid fingers of Death were
still stretched over him. There were whispered consultations at the
bedside, and a magistrate came to take a deposition, but the Head
Surgeon advised delay. He had a reputation at stake.

The wisdom of his advice was soon proved, for at the end of three days
Number 28 rallied, his fever subsided, and he smiled again at Nurse
Roth. But she had learned wisdom and refused to talk.

Number 28 straightened in bed and ran his thin fingers through the beard
with which his face was now covered. He ate of his food with a relish
and then eagerly questioned.

"I am quite strong again, Fraeulein. See--my hand does not even tremble.
Will you not talk with me?"

"My orders are to keep you quiet."

"I have been quiet long enough--a month!" he sighed. "The world does not
stand still for a month."

The nurse smiled. "I see that you are used to having your own way," she
said.

"Is it not natural that I should wish to know what has happened in the
world? Tell me. The Archduke Franz was killed. Did they discover a
plot?"

"A plot? Yes. The boy Prinzep was employed by the Serbians."

"He confessed?"

"Not to that--but it is obvious."

"And what