trains?"

Brand shook his head.

"Personally," he remarked, "I am in my usual lamentable state of
impecuniosity. Nevertheless, for the moment I am representing wealth
illimitable. That is to say, I am in harness again."

Reist looked askance at them both. He did not understand. Ughtred was
suddenly grave.

"I must ask you where you are going," he said. "There is no rumour of
war, is there?"

Brand hesitated.

"Speaking broadly," he answered, "I have no right to tell you. But the
circumstances of our meeting are peculiar. To tell you the truth, I am
bound for Theos."

Reist's face was dark with anger--Ughtred's blank with amazement.
Brand hastened to explain.

"The Duke of Reist," he said, "probably does not understand my
position. I am a special correspondent to the _Daily Courier_. They
send me at a moment's notice to any place where interesting events are
likely to happen. Our chief has been studying the aspect of things in
Theos, and half-an-hour ago I had my route. It was the same, Erlito,
when I travelled with you to Abyssinia!"

Ughtred nodded thoughtfully.

"That is true," he remarked. "Reist, I am sure that we can trust Mr.
Brand. He is not in league with any of those who would hinder us upon
our journey."

"That may be so," Reist answered, "but he knows too much for our
safety. There must be an understanding between us. A single paragraph
in his newspaper to-morrow as to our journey, and we shall have as
much chance of reaching the moon as Theos."

Brand, who was writing upon a telegraph-form, paused at once. They
were on the side of the steamer, remote from the bustle of departure,
and almost alone.

"There is likely to be trouble, then, on the frontier, or before?" he
inquired. "You have opponents?"

"So much so," Reist answered, fiercely, "that if we were in Theos now,
and you talked of filling the newspapers with idle gossip of us and
our affairs, we should not stop to argue the matter with you."

Brand laughed softly.

"I don't want to do you any harm," he said. "We must compromise
matters."

Reist misunderstood him.

"An affair of money," he exclaimed. "I understand. We will give your
paper one, two hundred pounds, to make no mention of Theos for a
week."

Brand glanced at Ughtred with twinkling eyes.

"The special train which brought me here cost more than that, I am
afraid," he said. "Believe me, Duke, it is not a matter of money at
all. The proprietors of my paper are mill