It makes me hot under the collar. These German
blockheads! Do they think to find the Princess Hildegarde by following
me around? I'd give as much as they to find her."
"So you haven't seen anything of her?"
"Not a sign. I came here first, but not a soul was at the castle.
Nobody knows where she is. I came here this time to throw them off the
track, but I failed. I had a close shave this noon. I'll light out
to-morrow. It isn't safe in these parts. It would be of no use to
tell them that I do not know where the princess is. They have
connected me with her as they connect one link of a chain to another.
You can kill a German, but you can't convince him. How long have you
been here?"
I did not reply at once. "About ten days."
"Ten days!" he echoed. "What on earth has kept you in this ruin that
long?"
"Rest," said I, glibly. "But I am going away to-morrow. We'll go
together. They will not know what to do with two of us."
"Yes, they will. You will be taken for my accomplice. . . . Hark!
What's that?" holding his hand to his ear. "Horses. Come, I'm not
going to take any risk.
Pages:
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157