forded so much amusement during the tour. A ponderous
policeman pounced upon it. "Please give me my little bag," wailed
Kitty. "Let me open it and show you the contents."

The man did not understand her words, but he did understand her
gesture as she stretched out her hands for the precious bag. He pushed
her back roughly. Did this dangerous woman think he was going to allow
her to throw a bomb in this her moment of despair? He rushed off into
the crowd, gave the infernal machine to some one else to hold, and we
saw it no more.

The luggage was all dismounted, and three wooden chairs were brought
for us to sit on while the examination took place. That scene will
always stand out in our minds with theatrical vividness. Flaring
electric lights lit up the road. There was a dense crowd of officials
and loafers, and beyond, blackness. One or two men came up and talked.

"We want to get into Holland. We want to get there to-night." "You
cannot. The frontier is closed." "But when can we go?" "When the war
is over." "That is incredible." "It is not incredible. You must stop
here. It is a nice place. If you wanted a large town, why did you not
stop in Berlin?" "Because we want to leave Germany. No one knows where
we are. Can we communicate with any one?" "All communication is
impossible."

This was cheerful news, but we had no time in which to think it over.
Lyra's trunk had been opened, and the examination had begun. Several
young women had arrived on the scene, who proved excellent English
scholars and most accomplished searchers. It was an education to watch
their methods. Every garment was taken out, shaken, weighed in the
hand, and held up to the light, then flung down carelessly. Pretty
chiffons and fluffy dresses lay about on the dusty road; but no one
cared. It was a sorry performance, and an unworthy one. Letters and
papers were pounced on and read, and it was a revelation to realize
how the most innocent wires and cables could be construed into having
some subtle political significance. Finally the last garment was
removed, and the trunk itself subjected to severe critical
examination.

By this time it was very late, and the hearts of our captors melted a
little. We were told we might proceed (under arrest, of course) to the
hotel, and that the remainder of the luggage would be examined there
privately.

Once more we took our seats in the car, but the drive can hardly be
described as a triumphal progress. Soldi