| Show 11 Drawings by FRED PEGRAM AM A MAKER M ii I A K K E R It OF 0 F HISTORY U H I STO RY i Author BY E c el rC PHILLIPS The Muster Master OPPENHEIM Mummer Copyright Co Brown 1905 Co 1906 1905 Boston by Little dt Mr air Ir A Prince PriMe Sabin of Anna Sinners the Adventuress Adventure Mysterious i CHAPTER I IAN IAN IAN AN ACCIDENTAL SPY The boy sat at up and rubbed his eyes ees He Ha was stiff stitt footsore and a little chilly There was no man servant ar arranging arranging arranging ranging his hIlt bath and clothes no pleas pleasant pleasant pleasant ant smell of coffee not of the email small luxuries to which he was accustomed On the contrary he had slept all night upon a bed of ot bracken with no other covering than the stiff stitt pine needles from the tall black trees whose rus thing tUng music had lulled him to sleep He sat eat up and remembered suddenly where he was and how he had come there He yawned and was waa on the point of struggling to hIs hla feet when he heL L became aware aare of certain changed con conditions conditions conditions in his surroundings Some Som in instinct instinct of ot simple curiosity perhaps but butof butof butof of effect led him to crawl bad back hac into 1 to his hiding place and watch Lall after atter many hours of pain painful paInful painful ful walking two things alone had im mm impressed impressed pressed themselves upon his conscious consciousness ness the dark Illimitable forest and the double line of ot rails which with the ab absolute solute straIghtness of exact science had stretched behind and In front till the tree tops In the far tar distance seemed to touch and the rails themselves to van vanish vanIsh vanish ish Into the black heart of ot the close growing pines For miles he had limped along alone the painfully rough track without seeing peeing the slightest sign of any breal break In the woods or any an human being At last the desire for sleep had h d overtaken him He was a hardy hard young Englishman English Engl h hman man roan and a night out of ot doors in the middle of or June under these odorous o orous pines presented itself merely as a not disagreeable adventure Five minutes after the idea iea l ea had occurred to him he was asleep And now In the gray morning he be looked out upon a different scene a dozen yards from him stood a single traveling coach of dark green by a heavy engine At Intervals p If f t twenty paces up and down the line as far as he could see soldiers were stationed like sentries They were looking sharply about in all directions directions and he could ever hear the foot toot footsteps footsteps steps of or others crashing through the wood From the train three or four nien in long Ions cloaks had already de dO descended descended They were standing in the track talking together The young man behind the bracken felt himself In somewhat of a dilemma There was a delightful smell cf of fresh coffee from the waiting coach and there seemed to be not the slightest reason why wh he should not emerge from his hiding place and claim the hospital hospitality ity of or these people He was a quite harmless person with proper credentials creden credentials and an adequate explanation of o oA f A x his presence there On the other hand handl i ithe the spirit of adventure natural to his h l s years jeara eaR strongly prompted him to remain where he was and watch He felt car certain certain tain lain that something was going to hap happen happen pen Besides Bt those soldiers rs had exact exactly exactly ly the air of looking for somebody t to o shout shot Whilst he was hesitating something g did happen There was a shrill whistle whIstleR a R puff putt of white smoke In the distance and another train approached from th the e opposite direction It Jt drew up within a few tew feet of ot th thare the e I Ine are oie ne which was already waiting Almor Almur Immediately half halt a dozen men who wh o were vere ert already standing upon the plat platform platform form of the car descended One of ot o these approached rapidly and saluted salute d I the central of or those who had bad ha d been bt tn talking together in the track Aft After After er a few rew moments conversation these thes e two followed by h one other man only y who ho was as carrying a writing portfolio ascended the platform of ot the train trai which had arrived first and disappeared d Inside insider A r The young man who was watching 6 these proceedings yawned No o duel then he muttered to him himself himself self Ive half halt a mind to go out Then ne caught sight of or a particularly soldier with his finger al already already already ready upon the trigger of ot his gun and an d he decided to remain where he was In about half halt an hour the two men me n reappeared on the platform of ot the car Simultaneously the window of ot the carrage car carnage carriage rage nage in which they had been sitting s as opened and the third man was waa wa visible standing before a small table e and arranging some papers Suddenly y he was called from outside He thrust his hat upon the papers pap rs and hastened hasten to obey the summons A little gust of breeze from the open openIng opening Ing Ins and closing of the door detached d one rne of ot the sheets of ot paper from the re retraining retraining restraining training straining weight of the hat It fluttered out of the window and lay la for a mot mo moment mot t ment upon the side of ot the track No Noone Noone N None 0 0 one noticed It lt and in a second or tw two o it u fluttered underneath the clump o of or of f bracken behind which the young Eng Englishman Englishman Englishman lishman was hiding He thrust out his hi Is Isie s hand and calmly secured itIn it itIn ItIn In less than five minutes the place was as deserted Amidst many man hasty halt Y farewells wholly unintelligible to th the ie ies e watcher atcher the two groups of men sep separated se separated and climbed into their respective trains As soon as every one was out ou I of sight the Englishman rose with a little grunt of satisfaction and stretched d himself He H glanced first at the sheet of or paper pa paper part per rt r and finding it written in German thrust it into his pocket Then he com corn commenced commenced in ht anxious search for smoking g materials and eventually produced a pipe a crumpled rumpled packet of tobacco and an c d two matches Thank heaven he exclaimed light lightIng t Ing up And now no for a tramp He plodded steadily st dlly along the track tract k for an hour or more All the time he heas heas h e was as in the heart of ot the forest Pheas Pheasants Pheasants ants and rabbits and squirrels contin continually continually wally crossed crasHed in front or of him Once a atrain atrain L train passed and an excited guard guar d shouted threats th ats of warnings to which h he lie replied In fluent but Ineffective Eng lish fish Johnnies seem to think Im trespassing tres trespassing s passing he remarked to himself In an a in inin n aggrieved tone I cant help being on in o otheir inic n their beastly line lines Tall Tail and fair he h ic icer S walked with the long step and lightsome light lightsome t some grace of ot the athletic young Eng Englishman er lishman of his day He was well dressed dresse jd d In tweed clothes cut by a good tailor tailo r a little creased by his night out of ot o ofle rt t doors but otherwise immaculate He H le leid e hummed a popular air to himself and an id idre d I held his head high If It only he were re reas e not so 80 hungry Then he came to a station It was w as little tittle more than a few tew rows of ot planks plank cs s with a chalet at one end but a avery very er welcome sight confronted him A little pile of luggage with his initials Initial s G P was on the end of the platform m nearest to him That conductor was a sensible chap hap he e exclaimed Glad I tipped tipp ed him Hullo The station master in uniform ca came ne me nean hurrying out The young oung Englishman an anIg took oft off his hat and produced a phrase book from his pocket He 1 Ig Ignored Ignored g nored noted the stream tream of ot words which the he t station master with many gesticulations gesticulations was already pouring nut My luggage he said firmly lay ing one hand upon the pile and waving the phrase book The station master acquiesced heart heartily heartIly ily fly He waxed eloquent again but buthe the t he Englishman was busy bus with the phrase book Hungry Hotel he attempted The rhe station master pointed to where the smoke was curling upwards from froma a score or so of houses about halt half amile a amile amile mile distant The Englishman was wab getting pleased with himself Outside was as a carriage and on the box seat fast asleep was a very ver fat man in a shiny hat ornamented with a bunch of feathers He pointed to the luggage then to the cab and finally to the village Luggage hotel carriage he sug suggested suggested suggested The station master over With a shout which must have reach reached ed the village he awakened the sleep Ing man In less loss than five ne minutes the Englishman and his luggage were stored away in the carriage His tic ket had been examined by the station stationmaster stationmaster stationmaster master and smilingly accepted There were more bows bons and salutes and the carriage drove off Mr Guy Poynton leaned back amongst the leather upholstery and smiled com complacently complacently complacently Easiest thing In the world orld to get geton geton geton on in a foreign country with a phrase book and your wits he remarked to himself Jove I am hungry He drove into a village of or half halt a dozen houses or so which reminded him of the pictured abodes of Noah and his brethren An astonished Inn keeper whose morning attire apparently appa apparently apparently consisted of trousers shirt and spectacles ushered him Into a bare room with a trestle table Guy pro his phrase book Hungry he said vociferously Want Vant to tg eat Coffee The man appeared to understand but in case there should have been any mistake Guy GU followed him into the kitchen Trite Taie l he driver who had lost no time tithe was already there with a 3 long glass of ot beer before him Guy produced a mark laid it on the table touched himself the Innkeeper and the driver and pointed to the beer The innkeeper understood and the beer was waa good The driver who had been of or course ludicrously overpaid settled down in his corner and announced his Intention of seeing through to the end this most extraordinary and oc oe occurrence occurrence currence The innkeeper and his wife busied busted themselves with the breakfast and Guy made remarks every now and then from his phrase book which were usually Incomprehensible except when they concerned a further supply or of beer beet With a brave acceptance of ot the thc th courtesIes of ot the country he had ac accepted accePted accepted a cigar from the driver and was already contemplating the awful moment when he would have to light ligh t it Just then an interruption came It was something very ery official but whether military or of the police pollee Guy could not tell It strode into the room With clanking of spurs and the driver and Innkeeper alike stood up In re respect respect It saluted Guy Guy GU took oft off his hat h t Then there came words but Guy Gu was busy with his phrase book I 1 cannot a word of ot German speak he announced at last lastA lastA A deadlock ensued The Innkeeper r and the driver rushed into the breach Conversation became furious Guy Gu took advantage of ot the moment to sll slip p the cigar into his pocket and to light lighta a cigarette Finally the fife officer swung swum g himself round and departed abruptly the driver announced announce d to him triumphantly the Innkeeper re repeated repeated repeated Guy turned it up In his hie phrase book and found that it meant interpreter lIe He devoted himself then to stimulating g the preparations for breakfast The meal was ready at last There Ther e were eggs and ham and veal dark colored bread and coffee cortee sufficient for fo about a dozen people The driver constituted con constituted constituted himself host and Guy Gur with wit witha h a shout of laughter sat down where he h e was and ate In the midst of the meal the officer reappeared ushering in a small individual of o f unmistakably English appearance Guy turned round in his chair char and the newcomer touched his forelock Hullo Guy exclaimed Youre Your e English Yes sir the man answered Came Cam e over oer to train polo ponies for the Prince of Not in any trouble 1 hope sir Not I Guy answered cheerily Dont mind my going on with my m y breakfast do you It all al 1 about the gentleman with the th e firemans helmet on and he h ie e worrying about He is an officer of the police sir siron siron on special service the man answered You have been reported for trespass trespassing ing on the State railway this morning morn morning mornIng ing Trespassing be Guy an answered answered Ive got my ticket for the th frontier We Ve were blocked by signal signa 1 about half a dozen miles 8 off oft this place and I got down to stretch my legs I I understood them to say that we coo could l d not go on for half halt an hour or so They The y never tried triad to stop my getting potting down and then off they went without any an Y warning and left me there I 1 will translate to the officer sir the man m n said sald Guy GU declared Go ahead There was a brisk colloquy between betwee n the two Then the little tittle man began again s I He says that your train passed here her re e at midnight and that you did not ar arrive arrhe rive rhe until past six Quite right Guy admitted I went wen t r to sleep I know how far It i iwas was to the station and I was dead des d tired The officer wishes to know whether fanatic r many trains passed you ou in the night Cant say Guy answered I sleep aloe sp sper p very soundly and I never opened my m y eyes after the rho first few minutes The officer wishes to know whether er erie you saw anything unusual upon the theline theline ih ie e line the man asked Nothing at all Guy answered cool coolly ly 1 Bit inquisitive he heThe heThe The little man came closer to th the e table He wishes to see your passport t sir he announced Guy handed It to him also a leUel lette ei eien r of credit and several other docu deco documents documents u ments meats He wants to know why you are go going going o ing hug to the frontier sir Sort of fanny fancy to say that Id been bee en enid n In Russia all Guy answered answers id d You tell him Im a perfectly harmless harmle RS 8 Individual Never been abroad before i The officer listened and took notes note es s In his pocketbook of or the passport and an nd d letter of credit Then he departed with witha wit th h a formal salute and they heard his ils s horses hoc hoofs fa ring upon the road out outside outside side ide s as he galloped away awa The littleman little littleman littleman man came close up to the table excuse me sir he said but you ou seem to have upset the officials very much by b being upon the line last night There have been some rumors rumor going about but perhaps youre best not to know that May I give you ou a word of ot advice sir Let me give you ou one Guy declared Try this beer beerI I thank you sir the man answered I will do so wi with h pleasure But If you are really an ordinary tourist sir siras siras siras as I have no doubt you are let this mand rive you to and take the train for the Austrian frontier You Tou may save yourself a good deal of ot un unpleasantness unpleasantness unpleasantness pleasantness Ill do It Lt Guy declared Vienna was the next place I was going to any an how You tell the fellow tellow where to take me will you The man spoke rapidly to the driver I think that you will be followed sir air he added turning to Guy but bUi very likely they wont interfere with you The railway for twenty twenty |
