in a
way, safer because of that. Had it been beyond that line, it would have
been much harder to reach.

The operator at Suwalki, when he called him by wireless, complained
bitterly, saying that he had been trying for hours to get an answer.
Boris's father had been heard from and was extremely anxious to get into
touch with his son. But it seemed the news that Fred sent made up for
this. The man at Suwalki was incredulous.

"Our information is that General von Hindenburg is many miles from
where you are," he flashed back. "Are you sure of your facts?"

"Absolutely sure," Fred answered. "Do you want the exact location of the
house used as headquarters? I can describe it for you if you have the
village shown on your map."

"Yes. Give it to me," came the answer.

Before he finished his wireless talk, Fred felt that the Russian
operator did not fully trust him. Nor did he blame him. He knew the
excellence of the German spy system; he had heard a good deal about it
from Boris, and, for that matter, before he had even seen Boris at all.
So he only laughed, though he hoped that this feeling would not prevent
the Russians from using the information he had given. He could not see
just how it was to be useful to them, however. Possibly the fact that
von Hindenburg was here, and not to the south, was the important thing.

By this time it was growing dark, and Fred decided that it would soon be
safe to try to throw the cord up to Boris's window--as safe, at least,
as it would ever be. He got a bundle of clothes from Vladimir, and this
time he determined to travel through the tunnel, since he knew that if
he went by the outside route he would have trouble in getting through
the sentries. Luck was with him again. He was nervous as he opened the
door and came out into the night, but there was no one about. At a
little distance he could hear steady footsteps; evidently a sentry was
walking his beat near by. But Fred's scout training had taught him how
to move quietly and he slipped through the gully and toward the house
without raising an alarm.

Once he was on the right side of the house, he found shelter in a clump
of bushes, where, unseen himself, he could study the situation. His
first thought was of the house. He soon found the window of Boris's
room. Immediately below it were the windows of corresponding rooms, and
one of these was lighted. This made him pause at once. For the rope to
be drawn up, or for Boris to show hi