his mother had
bequeathed him.

His meal disposed of to the last morsel, and paid for, Barney
entered the stolen car and resumed his journey toward Lutha. That he
could remain there he knew to be impossible, but in delivering his
news to Prince Ludwig he might have an opportunity to see the
Princess Emma once again--it would be worth risking his life for, of
that he was perfectly satisfied. And then he could go across into
Serbia with the new credentials that he had no doubt Prince von der
Tann would furnish him for the asking to replace those the Austrians
had confiscated.

At the frontier Barney was halted by an Austrian customs officer;
but when the latter recognized the military car and the Austrian
uniform of the driver he waved him through without comment. Upon the
other side the American expected possible difficulty with the
Luthanian customs officer, but to his surprise he found the little
building deserted, and none to bar his way. At last he was in
Lutha--by noon on the following day he should be at Tann.

To reach the Old Forest by the best roads it was necessary to bear a
little to the southeast, passing through Tafelberg and striking the
north and south highway between that point and Lustadt, to which he
could hold until reaching the east and west road that runs through
both Tann and Blentz on its way across the kingdom.

The temptation to stop for a few minutes in Tafelberg for a visit
with his old friend Herr Kramer was strong, but fear that he might
be recognized by others, who would not guard his secret so well as
the shopkeeper of Tafelberg would, decided him to keep on his way.
So he flew through the familiar main street of the quaint old
village at a speed that was little, if any less, than fifty miles an
hour.

On he raced toward the south, his speed often necessarily diminished
upon the winding mountain roads, but for the most part clinging to a
reckless mileage that caused the few natives he encountered to flee
to the safety of the bordering fields, there to stand in
open-mouthed awe.

Halfway between Tafelberg and the crossroad into which he purposed
turning to the west toward Tann there is an S-curve where the bases
of two small hills meet. The road here is narrow and
treacherous--fifteen miles an hour is almost a reckless speed at
which to travel around the curves of the S. Beyond are open fields
upon either side of the road.

Barney took the turns carefully and had just emerged int