our army the fear prevailed that the Tsar
would never brace himself up to the decision to make war. Powerful and
irresistible influences must have been at work to have finally conquered
his love of peace."

"You will, of course, get to the army as soon as possible?" inquired
Heideck; and as the Prince answered in the affirmative, he continued:
"I should be grateful to you if you would allow me to join you. But how
shall we get across the frontier? It is to be hoped that we shall be
allowed to pass quietly as unsuspected merchants."

"That is not quite so certain; we shall probably not be able to leave
India quite as readily as we entered it; but, at any rate, we must try
our best. We can reach Peshawar by rail in twelve hours and Quetta in
fifteen. Both these lines of railway are not likely at present to
be blocked by military trains, but we shall do well to hasten our
departure. In all probability we shall, either by way of Peshawar
or Quetta, soon meet with Russian troops, for I have no doubt that
a Russian army corps is also on the march upon Cabul, although the
Colonel, as you say, only spoke of an advance guard moving on Herat."

"I would suggest that we go by way of Peshawar and the Khyber Pass,
because we should thus reach Cabul most speedily and with the greater
security."

"We will talk more of this anon, comrade! At all events, it is settled
that we travel together. I hope most fervently that in the great theatre
of the world your nation is at this present moment standing shoulder to
shoulder with mine against England."

V

THE CAPTAIN'S WIFE

As a married man, Captain Irwin was not quartered in one of the wooden
barracks of the English camp, but had his own bungalow in the suburbs.

It was a house of one story with a broad verandah, was surrounded by
a large well-kept garden, and formerly served a high official of the
Maharajah as a residence. Apart from it lay two smaller buildings used
as servants' quarters, of which, however, only one was at present in
use.

The sun of that same day, that had brought Hermann Heideck face to face
with such momentous matters affecting his future for his final decision,
was sinking rapidly into the heavens as he passed through the cactus
hedge and bamboo thicket of the garden surrounding Irwin's bungalow.

He was attired in an evening dress of the lightest black cloth, such as
is prescribed by English custom for a visit paid at the dinner-hour in
those cl