ing in quarters fifteen miles away," one of the soldiers
answered.

"Then we cannot get on there tonight," Malcolm said. "Where are your
officers quartered?"

A soldier standing near at once volunteered to act as guide, and in a
few minutes Malcolm arrived at the house occupied by them. He was
of course personally known to all the officers, and as soon as their
surprise at his disguise and at seeing him accompanied by a young lady
had subsided, they received him most heartily.

Thekla was at once taken to the house of the burgomaster, which was
close at hand, and handed over to the wife of that functionary for the
night, and Malcolm spent a merry evening with the Scottish officers,
to whom he related the adventures which had so satisfactorily
terminated--making, however, no allusion to the political secrets which
he had discovered or the mission with which he was charged. He was soon
furnished from the wardrobes of the officers with a suit of clothes,
and although his craftsman attire had served him well he was glad to don
again the uniform of the Scottish brigade.

"You have cut your narrative strangely short at the end, Graheme,"
Colonel Hamilton said when Malcolm brought his story to a conclusion.
"How did you get away from Pilsen at last, and from whom did you steal
that splendid charger on whom you rode up to the door?"

"That is not my own secret, colonel, and I can only tell you at present
that Wallenstein himself gave it to me."

A roar of incredulous laughter broke from the officers round the table.

"A likely story indeed, Graheme; the duke was so fascinated with your
talents as a watchmaker that he bestowed a charger fit for his own
riding upon you to carry you across into our lines."

"It does not sound likely, I grant you," Malcolm said, "but it is true,
as you will acknowledge when the time comes that there will be no longer
any occasion for me to keep the circumstances secret. I only repeat,
Wallenstein gave me the honour of an escort which conducted me to the
crest of the hill two miles away, where, if your sentries and outposts
had been keeping their eyes open, they might have seen them."

It was late before the party broke up, but soon after daylight Malcolm
was again in the saddle, and with Thekla as before on the pillion he
continued his journey, and in three hours reached the town where his
regiment was quartered.

Alighting at the door of the colonel's quarters, he led Thekla to his
apa