who up to this time had
remained silent, "Hal and I went to the American Embassy immediately
after dinner to-night to learn, if possible, what difficulties we were
likely to encounter in leaving Germany. Since the Kaiser's declaration of
war against Russia all Americans have been preparing to get out of the
country at the earliest possible moment. But now that war has been
declared on France, we are likely to encounter many hardships."

"Is there any likelihood of our being detained?" asked Mrs. Paine in
alarm. "What did the ambassador say?"

"While the ambassador anticipates no danger for foreigners, he advises
that we leave the country immediately. He suggests that we take the early
morning train across the Belgian frontier."

"Why go to Belgium?"

"All railroad lines leading into France have been seized by German
soldiers. Passenger traffic has been cut off, mother," explained Hal.
"All trains are being used for the movement of troops."

"Yes, Mrs. Paine," continued Chester, "we shall have to go through
Belgium. Even now thousands of the Kaiser's best troops are marching upon
the French frontier, and fighting is only a question of hours."

"Very well, then," returned Mrs. Paine. "We shall go in the morning. So I
guess we would all better go upstairs and pack. Come along, boys."

While the packing is going on, it is a good time to describe the two
American lads, who will play the most important parts in our story.

Hal Paine was a lad some seventeen years of age. Following his graduation
from high school in a large Illinois city the previous June, his mother
had announced her intention of taking him on a tour through Europe.
Needless to say, Hal jumped at this chance to see something of the
foreign countries in whose histories he had always been deeply
interested. It was upon Hal's request that Mrs. Paine had invited his
chum, Chester Crawford, to accompany them.

Chester was naturally eager to take the trip across the water, and, after
some coaxing, in which Mrs. Paine's influence also was brought to bear,
his parents finally agreed to their son's going so far away from home.

Hal's father was dead. A colonel of infantry, he was killed leading a
charge at the battle of El Caney, in the Spanish-American war. Hal's
grandfather died of a bayonet wound in the last days of the Civil War.

But, if Hal's father's family was a family of fighters, so was that of
his mother. Her father, a Virginian, was killed at t