gram caused the field-marshal deep concern. He frowned
at Billy ferociously.

"I will forward this at once," he promised. "But, I warn you," he added,
"I deliver also a copy to MY president!"

Billy sighed hopefully.

"You might deliver the copy first," he suggested.

From the cable station Billy, still accompanied by his faithful
retainers, returned to the power-house. There he bade farewell to the
black brothers who had been his assistants, and upon one of them pressed
a sum of money.

As they parted, this one, as though giving the password of a secret
society, chanted solemnly:

"A HUIT HEURES JUSTE!" And Billy clasped his hand and nodded.

At the office of the Royal Dutch West India Line Billy purchased a
ticket to New York and inquired were there many passengers. "The ship is
empty," said the agent.

"I am glad," said Billy, "for one of my assistants may come with me. He
also is being deported."

"You can have as many cabins as you want," said the agent. "We are so
sorry to see you go that we will try to make you feel you leave us on
your private yacht."

The next two hours Billy spent in seeking out those acquaintances
from whom he could borrow money. He found that by asking for it in
homoeopathic doses he was able to shame the foreign colony into loaning
him all of one hundred dollars. This, with what he had in hand, would
take Claire and himself to New York and for a week keep them alive.
After that he must find work or they must starve.

In the garden of the Cafe Ducrot Billy placed his guard at a table with
bottles of beer between them, and at an 'adjoining table with Claire
plotted the elopement for that night. The garden was in the rear of the
hotel and a door in the lower wall opened into the rue Cambon, that led
directly to the water-front.

Billy proposed that at eight o'clock Claire should be waiting in the rue
Cambon outside this door. They would then make their way to one of the
less frequented wharfs, where Claire would arrange to have a rowboat in
readiness, and in it they would take refuge on the steamer. An hour
later, before the flight of Claire could be discovered, they would have
started on their voyage to the mainland.

"I warn you," said Billy, "that after we reach New York I have only
enough to keep us for a week. It will be a brief honey-moon. After that
we will probably starve. I'm not telling you this to discourage you," he
explained; "only trying to be honest."

"I woul