The boys descended from the car, and wandered toward the entrance of the station.  Just as they were about to step on to the street, a German military officer swung into the doorway.  Hal, who was directly in his path, stepped aside, but not quickly enough to entirely avoid him.

With one outstretched arm the officer shoved him violently to one side, and then stopped.

“What do you mean by blocking my way?” he demanded.  “Do you know who I am?”

Hal’s temper was aroused.

“No, I don’t; and I don’t care,” was his reply.

“Well, I’ll give you something to care about,” and, raising his hand, the officer made as though to strike Hal across the face.

“Don’t you strike me,” said Hal quietly.  “I’m an American citizen, and I give you warning.”

“Warning!” sneered the officer.  “You young American upstart!  I’ll have you whipped!” and he turned as though to call someone.

At that moment there was a sudden cry of “All aboard!” and the officer, after taking a threatening step toward Hal, made a dash for the train.

“I guess that is our train, Hal,” said Chester.  “We had better hurry.”

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 passed 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—­”