is
attendant. It caused the officious station-master to hasten forward,
and then, at the sight of this arrogant and somewhat important old
gentleman, to bow obsequiously and assist his entrance to the carriage.
Yes, altogether it was a splendid addition to their adventures.

"It's enough to make a cat laugh," said Stuart. "But here we are; and
well now, I'm just wondering what our friend--sorry, your friend,
Henri!--the manager of the sugar factory, will be saying just about
this moment? Of course he'll learn that someone has entered his
quarters."

Learn it, indeed! At that very moment the portly individual in
question was in the centre of his bedroom, surveying the contents of a
box which had been sadly depleted. He was rubbing the grizzly locks
beside one ear, pondering deeply, staring through big goggles at the
box, and trying to understand what had happened.

"But no," he said aloud; "I have not taken the things. Then who? And
see this--my best suit of clothes has gone, my hat, and the goggles I
placed on this chest last evening."

He made a movement towards the bell, and then dashed back, and once
more came to an abrupt halt, pausing with feet far apart, with eyes
peering into the distance, with wrinkled forehead, and with one hand
still rubbing his grizzly locks.

"But, a thousand thunders! Then what does this mean?" he demanded, so
loudly that a clerk dashed in from the adjacent office and asked what
had happened. "Happened, indeed! Then see here, my Fritz, this box of
clothing has been pilfered. My clothes are gone--my best suit of
clothes--my hat, and what more I cannot say. Who, then, can have paid
my quarters a visit?"

It puzzled the clerk also. For a while the two discussed the question
in the most animated and Teutonic manner. Then a brilliant idea seized
upon the brain of the clerk--an idea which sent a hot flush from the
top of his head to the soles of his somewhat flat feet.

"That party of soldiers who came here a little time ago," he cried;
"those prisoners who broke out of Ruhleben--who else, mein Herr
Winterborgen--who else can have wanted such clothing, such disguises?
Listen, there were three of them; now say what clothing you are
missing."

When a further investigation was made of the losses which the portly
manager had sustained, the incriminating fact was discovered that,
besides his best suit of clothes and Homberg hat, a woman's dress and a
man's had been purloined.