The lads retraced their steps toward their train. Reaching the shed, they saw the German officer disappearing into a compartment on the train.

"That looks like our compartment to me," said Hal. "I hope we don't have to ride with him."

"I hope not," agreed Chester, and then broke into a run, as he shouted:

"Hurry! The train is moving!"

It was true. The boys had wasted too much time.

The door to one compartment was all that stood open, and that was the one in which Mrs. Paine could be seen gesticulating to them.

"We just made it," panted Hal, as they reached the open door, and started to climb aboard.

At that instant a uniformed arm appeared through the door and pushed Hal away.

"Go away, you American puppy," came a voice.

Hal slipped, and but for the prompt action of Chester, who caught him by the arm, would have fallen beneath the train.

The train gathered momentum, as the boys raced along beside it, in vain seeking an open door by which they might climb aboard. There was none but their own compartment, and that had pa.s.sed them. It was impossible for them to overtake it, and there was not a train guard in sight.

The boys stopped running and stood still as the remainder of the train slipped past.

On ahead they could see Mrs. Paine and the big German officer, both gazing back toward them, the former gesticulating violently.

Hal stamped his foot with rage.

"I'd like to get my hands on that big lout!" he shouted. "I'd--"

"Come, come, old fellow," interrupted Chester, "never mind that, now. I don't blame you, but you can see it's impossible. You'll have to wait."

"You are right, of course," replied Hal. "The thing to do now is to send mother a telegram to the first station and tell her not to worry, that we shall be along on the next train. But, just the same, I'd like to get my hands on that--"

"Come, now," Chester interrupted again, "let's send that telegram and find out when the next train leaves."

They found the telegraph office, and Hal prepared a message, which he handed through the window.

The clerk glanced at it, and then pa.s.sed it back.

"Can't be sent," he informed Hal.

"Can't be sent! Why not?"

"Nothing can be sent over this wire but military messages from this time on," said the clerk.

"But we missed the train, and I want to send this message to my mother, so she won't worry," pleaded Hal.

"I'm sorry," the clerk returned kindly, "but it is impossible. I must obey my orders."

Hal and Chester were nonplused.

"What shall we do?" questioned Chester.

"The only thing I know to do," replied Hal, "is to take the next train without telegraphing. Mother is sure to be at the Brussels station. I guess she knows we have enough sense to get there."

"All right Let's find out when the next train leaves."

On their way to the ticket window, Hal stopped suddenly.

"What's the matter" asked Chester.

"Matter!" exclaimed Hal. "The matter is I haven't any money. All I have was enough to send that telegram, and that amount won't get us to Brussels."

Chester reached in his pocket, and a startled expression came over his face.

"Neither have I," he exclaimed, feeling first one pocket and then another. "I have lost my pocketbook. All I have is a little change."

The lads looked at each other in silence for several minutes.

"What shall we do?" Chester asked finally.

"I don't know what to do," replied Hal; "but we have got to do something.

I guess the best thing is to go back to the emba.s.sy and see if we can't raise the price of a couple of tickets. I am sure the amba.s.sador will let us have it."

"A good idea," said Chester. "I guess the sooner we get there the better. Come on."

The amba.s.sador received them immediately.

"I'm awfully sorry, boys," he said, after listening to their troubles, "but I am afraid I can do nothing for you."

"Can't you lend us enough money to get to Brussels?" asked Hal in surprise. "You'll get it back, all right."

"Yes, I can lend it to you, and I am not afraid of not getting it back."

"Then why can't you help us?"

"The reason is this," the amba.s.sador explained, "this morning's train to Brussels was the last upon which foreigners were allowed to depart. The German government has given orders that all foreigners now in Germany must remain until mobilization is completed. So you see you are up against it"

Hal and Chester looked at each other, and both smiled faintly.

"I see we are," said Chester.

"Now, I'll tell you what I can do," continued the amba.s.sador. "I can let you have enough money to keep you until such a time as you will be allowed to leave the country; or, better still, you can come and live with me. What do you say?"

"I'm sure we appreciate your kindness very much," said Hal, "and we may be forced to take advantage of it. We shall look about the city this afternoon, and, if nothing else turns up, we shall be glad to stay with you."

"Let me hear from you before night, anyhow," said the amba.s.sador, rising.

"We certainly shall. Come, Chester, let's go out and look around a bit."