wo beads of perspiration that had formed upon his
brow rolled from it, and fell upon the register. And Weber had come,
too! He was not surprised at it. Since he was Lannes' messenger, and he
was free to come and go as he pleased, it was altogether likely that he
would appear in Chastel to see the reunion of brother and sister, and
his work well done. Moreover, he was a man who knew. John had often
noticed that Weber's characteristic was knowledge and now he would help
them.

He lifted the candle high above his head and looked around the lobby,
but there was no sign of the Alsatian. He must have gone outside again.
Saying nothing to Julie or the Picards, John resolved to seek him. He
needed his heavy overcoat and he was able to secure it unobserved,
because Julie had gone up to her room, and Antoine and Suzanne had
disappeared in the back regions of the hotel.

He had a faint hope that when he returned to the lobby he might find
Weber there, but it was still lone and silent, and drawing the collar
well about his ears and throat he thrust himself out into the snow.
Turning his back to the driving flakes he walked eastward, searching
everywhere through the advancing twilight. Weber, of course, knew of
their presence in the hotel as he had seen their names on the register,
and the lighted candle on the bureau. It must have been a sudden alarm
that called him away so quickly, else he would have gone in at once, and
have spoken to his friends.

Unfortunately the night was coming fast. Thick gray gloom clothed the
whole east, and but little light showed in the west. Looking back he saw
no light in the hotel, but that was to be expected, as Picard would
certainly loop the curtains heavily over the windows. Out here in the
ruined town much of his extraordinary buoyancy departed. The cold and
the desolation of the world made him shiver a little. He thrust his hand
into the pocket of his overcoat, and closed it upon the butt of the
automatic.

He thought once of calling at the top of his voice for Weber, but
instinctive caution kept him from doing so. Then he caught sight of a
slender moving figure far ahead and feeling sure that it must be the
Alsatian he hurried forward. The figure moved on as fast as he, but,
eager in pursuit, he followed. It was shadowy and slim at the distance,
but he knew that it was a human being, and either it was Weber or some
man of Chastel returning to see what had happened to his town. In either
e