e had
been a contest of wits between them, both under cover, and Koulas had
managed to get what he wanted, not, however, without narrowly escaping
the revelation of his own part in the investigation. Goritz was a clever
man and a dangerous one, young, brilliant, handsome, unscrupulous, who
wore an armor of impenetrability which had not yet revealed a single
weak link. And yet, Herr Koulas reasoned, broodingly, that there must be
one. A weak link! Where was the man without one? The messages from the
Wilhelmstrasse! Why had Goritz not returned to Berlin upon the outbreak
of the war? What was keeping him in Hungary? He was in the Tatra region?
Possibly. Which were the passes by which he might try to go? Uzoker,
Dukla, or perhaps even Jablunka. The Russians were already battering at
Przemysl--Uzoker Pass was out of the question. Jablunka--that was nearer
the German border, but eagerly watched even in times of peace. Goritz
would not have dared to try to abduct the Countess Strahni by way of
Jablunka! The railroad went through Jablunka, a narrow highway with no
outlet for many miles. It was not the kind of _cul-de-sac_ that Goritz
would have chosen. Dukla? Perhaps. A little farther to the east, of
course, but not yet menaced by the Russian advance.

The thing was puzzling, but interesting--very. The abduction of a loyal
citizen of Austria--a lady of noble birth--a hurried flight by
unfrequented roads and then an _impasse_! Had Herr Windt blocked the
way? Was the lady ill? Or had something else detained them?

Renwick sat in the back room of the small laboratory, his arms folded,
his brows tangled in thought, as Herr Koulas, puffing great clouds of
smoke from his long pipe, thus analyzed the situation.

"I have thought of all of these things, Herr Koulas," Renwick muttered,
"and my mind always comes back to the same point. If I know that Goritz
has come to this region, if I know that he has not gone out of it, I
also know that he remains. I do not care _why_--my question is
_where--where_?"

Koulas ran his long forefinger over the map upon the table.

"It is the map Goritz might use--a road map of the government," he
grumbled.

"The center near the top--Poprad--he would get through there with
difficulty----"

Renwick had risen and paced the floor slowly.

"I have not been through Dukla. It is accessible?"

"Yes. Svidnik to Przemysl. Rocks--a _schloss_ or two----" He turned. "It
was there that the Baron Neudeck was