understand you to say that you desire to try your
luck again?"

"Again and again until we succeed," Max replied. "There must be some way
of getting in, if it can only be found. I mean to find it."

The colonel looked curiously at the man before him. He noticed that he
did not speak like a common soldier, and he wondered what his history
could be. He asked one or two further questions, and then bade him
return to his quarters, giving them permission to make the attempt
again, if they were still crack-brained enough to desire to do so.

The next night proved too fine for the attempt, but on the night
following, having made a careful inspection of the neighbourhood during
the day, and finding that it was sufficiently dark for them to cross the
river, they set off. This time, however, they met with no better success
than before, and returned from their expedition disappointed, but by no
means disheartened.

"No," said Max to Bertram, when they discussed the matter in solemn
conclave afterwards, "there can be no sort of doubt about one thing, and
that is the fact that the place we first tried near the main gates is
the point, and the only one that is likely to serve our purpose."

For the next few days he was occupied in a brown study, turning and
twisting the situation in his mind. Then an idea occurred to him, an
idea so luminous that he wondered he had not thought of it before. He
described it to Bertram, who, sanguine as ever, declared that it could
not be anything but successful. They therefore set off once more to
interview the colonel, to whom Max explained his scheme.

"I scarcely know what to say," the other replied, when he had heard him
out. "The notion certainly seems feasible enough, and, given a
considerable slice of luck, might possibly succeed; the question is,
however, whether the enemy would allow it to be carried out. One small
slip and it would result in a _fiasco_. However, I will lay it before
General Groplau without delay, and hear what he has to say. If there is
any chance of success in it you may be sure it will be tried. The Prince
Regent is expected here next week, and I have no doubt the general would
like to present him with the keys of the city as a souvenir of his first
visit to his army."

Bertram has since informed me that Max turned very pale on hearing this.
The colonel, however, was too much occupied with another matter, which
had just been presented to him to notice his consternat