into the hotel at the side
entrance and go up-stairs to listen at the door of the room with the
closely drawn blind. Neuman returned soon with the hotel man, and the
two of them half led, half dragged old Dorn out into the street. They
took the direction toward the railroad. Kurt followed at a safe distance
on the opposite side of the street. Soon they passed the stores with
lighted windows, then several dark houses, and at length the railroad
station. Perhaps they were bound for the train. Kurt heard rumbling in
the distance. But they went beyond the station, across the track, and
turned to the right.

Kurt was soft-footed and keen-eyed. He just kept the dim shadows in
range. They were heading for some freight-cars that stood upon a
side-track. The dark figures disappeared behind them. Then one figure
reappeared, coming back. Kurt crouched low. This man passed within a few
yards of Kurt and he was whispering to himself. After he was safely out
of earshot Kurt stole on stealthily until he reached the end of the
freight-cars. Here he paused, listening. He thought he heard low voices,
but he could not see the men he was following. No doubt they were
waiting in the secluded gloom for the other men apparently necessary for
that secret conference. Kurt had sensed this event and he had determined
to be present. He tried not to conjecture. It was best for him to apply
all his faculties to the task of slipping unseen and unheard close to
these men who had involved his father in some dark plot.

Not long after Kurt hid himself on the other side of the freight-car he
heard soft-padded footsteps and subdued voices. Dark shapes appeared to
come out of the gloom. They passed him. He distinguished low, guttural
voices, speaking German. These men, three in number, were scarcely out
of sight when Kurt laid his rifle on the projecting shelf of the
freight-car and followed them.

Presently he came to deep shadow, where he paused. Low voices drew him
on again, then a light made him thrill. Now and then the light appeared
to be darkened by moving figures. A dark object loomed up to cut off
Kurt's view. It was a pile of railroad ties, and beyond it loomed
another. Stealing along these, he soon saw the light again, quite close.
By its glow he recognized his father's huge frame, back to him, and the
burly Neuman on the other side, and Glidden, whose dark face was working
as he talked. These three were sitting, evidently on a flat pile of
t