a guard, they were marched away.

An hour later they stood before the Bulgarian commander, where the
officer who had captured them related his story. General Blozle eyed
them keenly.

"Have you anything to say?" he asked when the colonel had presented the
case against them.

Chester stepped forward.

"Just this, general," he said quietly. "Miss Ellison here is in no way
concerned in anything we may have done. We had never seen her until last
night, as she told the colonel. Also, I would like to speak a word for
Mr. Stubbs here. He is, as my friend has said, an American war
correspondent. That's all, sir."

The lad resumed his place.

"Bah!" exclaimed the general. "You as much as admit you are a spy. If you
are a spy, so are the others. You are a lot of spies. You English hounds!
If it were not for the English, Bulgaria would now have what was
rightfully hers. You shall all be shot at sunrise! Take them away!"

The prisoners were marched out with scant ceremony. They were taken to a
large tent, with ample room for all of them. There they were securely
bound and a guard stationed without.

"Well," said Stubbs quietly, with nothing of the fear of other days in
his manner, "I guess we have come to the finish line at last."

"It looks that way, Mr. Stubbs," said Chester sadly. "I am sorry that we
have implicated you in this."

"Oh, that's all right," replied the little man. "I'm not blaming you. But
I would have liked to go back to New York once more."

Chester turned to Helen.

"And you, Miss Ellison," he said. "I hardly know what to say. If it had
not been for me, you would not have been in this serious predicament."

Helen smiled at him.

"Say no more about it," she said quietly. "You saved me once. I am not
the girl to whine now."

"Now that you people have all decided you are going to die, I would like
to say a few words."

It was the voice of Nikol.

The others looked at him in surprise.

"What's the matter with you?" demanded Stubbs. "Want to berate us, I
suppose, for getting you into this fix."

Nikol eyed Stubbs somewhat scornfully.

"I," said Nikol, "wish to say that while there is life there is hope."

"Good for you, old man," cried Hal. "You have expressed my thoughts
exactly."

"Suppose you tell us how, securely tied as we are, we are going to get
out of here?" Stubbs addressed Nikol.

"Very simple," said Nikol. "First I want to say this. I am no strategist.
I can unloosen us all,