ng's
hand.

"You don't know how glad I am to see you again, sir," the lad said
quietly. "It seems like an age since we saw you. And to think that we
didn't recognize you instantly."

"That's what seemed so funny to me," said Lord Hastings. "When I first
saw you aboard that German vessel I was fearful for a minute that you
would recognize me and blurt it out right there."

"But what were you doing there, Lord Hastings?" asked Frank.

"It's a long story," was the latter's reply, "but I guess now is as
good a time as any to explain."

"I wish you would, sir," said Jack.

"Well," said Lord Hastings, "as you know, I told you when we parted
that I had an important diplomatic duty to perform. First, it carried
me to Roumania, where, I may say, I was successful."

"You mean that Roumania has decided to cast in her fortunes with the
Allies, sir?"

"Exactly. She will take that step some time in August, though the exact
date I am unable to say. My mission there at an end, I was ordered to
report to Berlin. As you know, we still maintain a staff of
correspondents in the German capital, although their identities are
closely hidden."

Frank and Jack nodded, for they had known this some time before.

"Well," Lord Hastings continued, "in Berlin I was instructed to learn
what Germany planned to do to offset the Roumanian menace, for she is
sure to know of Roumanians decision by this time. I had some trouble,
but I succeeded at last."

"And what will she do, sir?" asked Frank.

"That," was the reply, "I am unable to state at this minute. It is a
secret that I am guarding carefully and I cannot even tell you lads
about it."

Frank and Jack asked no further questions along that line.

"But how came you aboard the German vessel, sir?" Jack wanted to know.

Lord Hastings smiled.

"In Berlin," he said, "I was supposed to be a Roumanian officer, who
had hopes of changing the attitude of that country. The Kaiser wished
to show me how foolish it would be for the little Balkan state to join
the Allies, and for that reason, had me shown through the German naval
fortifications. That information, too, I am carrying back with me."

"But why didn't you tell us who you were in Bremen, sir?"

"I don't know. At first I guess because I wanted to surprise you both
when you did learn who I was."

"But you told us not to try and learn who you were."

"Well, that was for a good reason. For, if you should have sought to
pry, it might