here at half-past five, the
dispatches will be ready; written, of course, so as to fold up in
the smallest possible compass.

"Captain Verre, will you see that two of the best horses in my
stable are put into boxes, in the train that leaves at six tomorrow
morning."

The boys now rose to leave.

"Good morning," the minister said. "All the letters of
recommendation, the dispatches, and the money will be ready when
you come, in the morning."

The boys, on going out, held a long consultation over their
disguises. Examining the papers, they found that one was for two
persons of the same name--Isaac Kraph and Aaron Kraph--father and
son; the father, as described in the pass, forty-five years old,
the son eighteen. This pass they determined to use.

The task of changing Percy into a Jew boy, of eighteen, was
evidently an easy one. His clear complexion was the only
difficulty, and this could be readily disguised. Ralph's disguise
was a more difficult one; and there was a considerable debate as to
whether he had better go as a red Jew, or a dark Jew. The latter
was finally determined upon as, otherwise, the contrast between the
supposed father and son would be too striking.

They then went to their tailor, and found their uniforms ready.
They at once put them on, as the peculiarity of the purchases they
intended to make was so great that, had they been in their civilian
dress, it was certain that they would have been regarded with
suspicion; and would have, perhaps, had difficulty in obtaining
what they wanted.

Their first visit was to a hairdresser's shop. Rather to the
astonishment of the proprietor, they told him that they wished to
speak to him in a private room; and still more to his astonishment,
when the door was closed, they told him that they wanted their hair
dyed quite black. The hairdresser could hardly believe his ears.
The boys had both brown, wavy hair--Percy's being the lightest--and
that two young officers of the staff should, at such a time, desire
to dye their hair struck the man almost dumb with astonishment.

Ralph smiled.

"No wonder you are surprised, but we have an important mission to
carry out, and it is essential that we should be completely
disguised. We are going as spies into Von der Tann's camp. This, of
course, is in the strictest confidence."

The hairdresser was at once struck with the importance of the
occasion.

"You want an instantaneous dye?" he asked.

"Certainly," Ralp