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Then one of the three whistled A , and Carmichael was literally bundled inside His feet were now bound Two of his captors sat on the forward seat, while the third joined the driver Car but outlines and shadows He choked, for he was furious To be trussed like this, without any explanation whatever! What the devil was going on? Unanswered

The carriage began towas hardly possible and at no time safe Carmichael set himself to note the turns of the street One turn after another he counted, fixing as well as he could the topography of the town through which they were passing At last he realized that they were leaving Dreiberg behind and were going down the endheit Once the level road was reached, a fast pace was set and maintained for miles At the Ehrenstein barrier no question was asked, and Carendheit barrier the carriage stopped There were voices Carot out Presently there appeared at the door an old man dressed as a mountaineer In his hand was the lantern

"Pardonround "He has tricked you all This is not he!"

Three astonished faces peered over the old man's shoulder Carmichael eyed them evilly He no that one was a carter, another a butcher, and the third a baker He had seen the

"Untie hi It may be Scharfenstein" The old man possessed authority

Carmichael, freed, stretched hierous quiet

"Herr Carmichael, the American consul!" The old man nearly dropped the lantern "Oh, you infernal blockheads!"

"Explanations are in order," suggested Caries for a stupid mistake Now, may I ask how you caht?"

Carhed All the one with the abruptness of a lare of the sun He sa neatly he had been duped He still carried the note This he gave to the leader of this rowl "I thought as much" He whispered to his companions "Herr Car you back to Dreiberg"

"But will it be as easy to go in as it was to come out?"