“You will come with me,” said the man in the helmet, and Stewart, with a nod, picked up his grips again before he remembered that he was supposed to be ignorant of German.

“Did you say there was another train?” he asked. “Shall we be able to get away?”

The man shook his head and led the way along the platform, without glancing to the right or left. As they passed the bare little station, they saw that it was jammed to the doors with men and women and children, mixed in an indiscriminate mass, and evidently most uncomfortable. But their guide led them past it without stopping, and Stewart breathed a sigh of relief. Anything would be better than to be thrust into that crowd!

Again he had cause to wonder at the length of that interminable platform; but at last, near its farther [Pg 101]end, their guide stopped before a small, square structure, whose use Stewart could not even guess, and flung open the door.

[Pg 101]

“You will enter here,” he said.

“But look here,” Stewart protested, “we are American citizens. You have no right——”

The man signed to them to hurry. There was something in the gesture which stopped the words on Stewart’s lips.

“Oh, damn the fool!” he growled, swallowing hard. “Come along, my dear; there’s no use to argue,” and, bending his head at the low door, he stepped inside.

In an instant, the door was slammed shut, and the snap of a lock told them that they were prisoners.

[Pg 102]

[Pg 102]

CHAPTER VII IN THE TRAP

IN THE TRAP

As Stewart set down his bags, still swearing softly to himself, he heard behind him the sound of a stifled sob.

As

“There! there!” he said. “We’ll soon be all right!” and as he turned swiftly and reached out his arms to grope for her, it seemed to him that she walked right into them.

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