g politely.

"Very sorry," he said, "but we are almost out of petrol."

"There is a garage a few miles beyond," said the chauffeur of the
touring car.

But Goritz shook his head.

"I wish to exchange cars with you--at once, please."

The chauffeur and the stout man, who looked like a small magistrate, sat
staring at Goritz as though they thought that he or they had suddenly
been bereft of their senses. But Karl, who seemed to know precisely what
to do, got down beside them and produced from his pocket a pistol, which
he brandished in their direction. The meaning of the situation was now
obvious, and the Austrians scrambled down in great alarm.

Captain Goritz smiled at their precipitous movements and his voice was
reassuring as he addressed the fat man.

"I regret that we have no time to lose. I only ask you to exchange cars
with me. Mine, I think, is the more valuable."

But the others seemed stricken dumb and continued to stare wide-eyed,
their mouths gaping open.

"Would you mind telling me how you are equipped with oil and petrol?"
asked Goritz coolly.

"The tank is full," stammered the frightened chauffeur, still eyeing
Karl's weapon dubiously. But by this time the fat man had regained some
of his courage.

"What is the meaning of this outrage?" he blustered.

"We go upon a matter of life and death," said Goritz sharply.

"And I----"

His remark was cut short, for at that moment a bullet from Karl's pistol
went off somewhere in his general direction, and leaving the boy and the
chauffeur to their fate, he fled, a frightened behemoth, into the woods.

Captain Goritz now opened the door of the limousine.

"You will get down at once, please," he said quietly to Marishka. "We
will go on in the other car." And while Karl transferred a suitcase and
other personal belongings, Captain Goritz scribbled something upon a
card which he handed to the astonished chauffeur. "If your master ever
comes back and is not satisfied with his bargain, he should present
himself at this address in Vienna and the matter will be satisfactorily
arranged." And then as he got into the tonneau of the car beside
Marishka, "I would warn you not to follow us too closely. It would be
dangerous."

Karl put in the gears and they started at once. "It would also be
difficult, Herr Hauptmann," he said with a laugh, "for I have locked the
switch."

"Ah, it is better so," said Goritz calmly. "And now, by Jarmeritz, I
should think."