hought he was doing very
well.

Merritt could see how Rob had laid out their course, by the assistance
of the friendly innkeeper, who had been told of their desire to reach
the little place called Sempst. He had really drawn Rob a rude but
correct chart of the roads covering the territory between, and informed
him as to what his best plan of campaign would be.

A number of times they had slight scares. Once a dog ran out from a yard
and commenced barking wildly at them, even threatening to nip Tubby in
the leg. It was only natural for the threatened one to shout angrily and
kick desperately at the offending canine. By great good luck he managed
to land the toe of his shoe against the vicious animal's nose, as a
loud howl announced.

"There, that serves you right, for bothering me, you silly thing!"
grumbled Tubby.

The others knew he must be very proud of that shot, and would often
refer to it when complaints were made afterward to the effect that he
was "slow." Any one who could manage to get his foot in contact with a
snapping dog must not be reckoned out of the running.

Just what they would do should they finally reach the small town where
Steven Meredith was supposed to be in charge of a large German
manufacturing plant, they had not as yet determined. It was Rob's plan
to secure possession of that field-glass case by hook or crook, for, if
it proved impossible to obtain by fair means, then he meant to try
strategy.

For this purpose he had even bought an empty case while in Antwerp which
had been carried through all their adventures. It was a new one, for, in
making up his plans, Rob may have had in mind the old Arabian story of
the magical lamp, and how the cunning schemer managed to get possession
of it by going around and offering housewives to exchange new lamps for
old ones.

He meant to exchange with Steven, and give him a brand new case for his
worn one, should the opportunity arise for such a transfer.

"And once we get our hands on that bit of paper," he had told the
others, "we'll shake the dust of this country off our shoes in the
biggest hurry ever."

It must have been fully an hour after they left the stable of the
village inn when Rob imparted some information to his chums that caused
Tubby, at least, more or less apprehension.

"It's about time we were coming to it now," Rob started to say.

"What, already?" remarked Tubby, evidently delighted, for, of course, he
foolishly thought it