, take him away and strip him and bring me anything you find!"

The sentry spun on his heel like an automaton.

The moment had come to play my last card, I felt: I could not risk being
delayed on the frontier lest Stelze and his friends should catch up with
me. I was surprised to find that apparently they had not telegraphed to
have me stopped.

"One moment, Herr Major," I said.

"Take him away!" The fat man waved me aside.

"I warn you," I continued, "that I am on important business. I can
convince you of that, too. Only ..." and I looked round the office. "All
these must go."

To my amazement the fat man's anger vanished utterly. He stared hard at
me, then took off his spectacles and polished them with his
handkerchief. After this he said nonchalantly: "Everybody get outside
except this gentleman!" The sentry, who had spun round on his heel
again, seemed about to speak: his voice expired before it came out of
his mouth: he saluted, spun round again and followed the rest out of the
room.

When the place was cleared I pulled my left brace out of the armhole of
my waistcoat and displayed the silver star.

The fat man sprang up.

"The Herr Doktor must excuse me: I am overwhelmed: I had no idea that
the Herr Doktor was not one of these tiresome American spies that are
overrunning our country. The Herr Doktor will understand.... If the Herr
Doktor had but said ..."

"Herr Major," I said, endeavouring to put as much insolence as I could
into my voice (that is what a German understands), "I am not in the
habit of bleating my business to every fool I meet. Now I must go back
to the train."

"The Berlin train has gone, Herr Doktor, but..."

"The Berlin train gone?" I said. "But my business brooks no delay. I
tell you I must be in Berlin to-night!"

"There is no question of your taking the ordinary train, Herr Doktor,"
the fat man replied smoothly, "but unfortunately the special which I had
ready for you has been countermanded. I thought you were not coming
again."

A special? By Jove! I was evidently a personage of note. But a special
would never do! Where the deuce was it going to take me?

"The Berlin train was to have been held back until your special was
clear," the Major went on, "but we must stop her at Wesel until you have
passed. I will attend to that at once!"

He gave some order down the telephone and after a brisk conversation
turned to me with a beaming face:

"They will stop her at Wesel and