enough."

"Semi-final won by a clear length--eh?" cried Dale in great glee. "Seems
a regular walk-over. If we want any real excitement we shall have to go
and throw stones at the German guard."

"We haven't done yet," replied Max more soberly, though his voice was
confident enough. "Here, I'm not going to examine all these papers and
documents now. I'm going to cram the whole lot into the bag and be off.
We can see what our capture is when we get back to our room."

"Right you are. By George, though, what's that?"

Both stood stock-still and listened. The sound of voices and the tramp
of feet upon the stairs was plainly audible.

Max darted an angry look at Dale. In the excitement of the opening of
the safe the latter had forgotten that he was on guard at the window,
and no doubt this was the result. "You see, Dale?" he cried sharply.

"I'm sorry, old man," replied Dale miserably.

"No matter. Cram these things into the bag while I lock the safe. Mind,
not a sound!"

The safe locked, Max sprang noiselessly to the door, replaced the
cut-out panels and secured them in position, against anything but a blow
or strong pressure, by two or three sharp nails pressed in with his
fingers. Flight was out of the question, but it might be possible to
make good their escape later on if they could only hide themselves
successfully for a little while. For a hiding-place Max had no need to
look. He had played at hide-and-seek in that very room with his sister
years ago, too often to forget that the best shelter was inside the well
of his father's--now the manager's--desk.

The panels replaced, Max knelt down and gently blew away the tell-tale
sawdust. Then he turned and eagerly scanned the room. Dale had already
packed the bag, and was looking vainly round for a hiding-place.

"Under here--quick!" cried Max, indicating the desk, and in Dale
scrambled, dragging the precious bag after him. There was only one thing
left which needed to be disposed of, and that was the lantern. Max knew
that if he blew it out and hid it under the desk the smell would
inevitably betray them. Therefore he took it to the fire-place, blew it
out close under the chimney, and instantly thrust it as far up as his
arm would reach and lodged it there.

The noise of voices and the tramp of feet had, during the few moments
that these preparations had taken, been growing stronger, and the
lantern had scarcely been disposed of before the approaching persons