“I haven’t the faintest idea, but he must be someone of importance.”

“Oh, he’s important enough, all right.  You noticed his command was obeyed.”

“Well, I guess we shall find out in good time who he is,” returned Hal.

The lads were taken to a large hut in the center of a great camp.  The hut was luxuriously appointed, and it was plainly evident that the man who had saved them was one of the foremost of the huge German host.

The general himself had not arrived yet.  But, after a long wait, he came in, alone.  He motioned their guards away, and then turned on the boys with a scowl.

“Do you remember me?” he demanded.

The two lads nodded affirmatively.  They were, for the moment, beyond speech.

“And I remember you,” went on the general.  “You,” he continued, pointing to Hal, “are the American upstart who almost knocked me over in the station at Berlin.  I said I would have you whipped.  Well, my time has come.  Now, you just sit quiet,” he said loudly, as Hal and Chester took a step forward.  “I will write out your sentence right now,” and he turned toward a table.

“I won’t be whipped!” cried Hal to Chester.  “They will have to kill me first!”

The general paid no attention to this remark, but continued to write in silence.  Finally he arose, with a paper in his hand.

“Here is your sentence,” he said, turning to Hal.  “Read, and see what you think of it.”

Hal took the paper the general extended to him.  As he read an expression of amazement passed over his face.

Hal passed the paper to Chester without a word, and, as Chester read, he also grew amazed.  And no wonder.

For what the general had written was a safe-conduct for both lads to the Belgian lines; and the signature at the bottom was that of General Count Von Moltke, commander-in-chief of all the German armies!

Hal stepped forward.

“General,” he stammered, “we—­I—­we don’t know how to thank you.”

The general raised a hand and said gruffly: 

“Never mind that.”  The faint shadow of a smile flitted over his stern countenance.  “I suppose,” he continued, “that you are wondering why I do this, after what occurred in the station at Berlin.  It is so, is it not?”

“It is very strange,” muttered Chester, and Hal nodded his head in assent.

“Well, I’ll tell you,” said the general.  “You remember when I pushed you away from the train?” he queried, turning to Hal.

Hal nodded.

“When I turned round after that, feeling greatly pleased with myself, I noticed, for the first time, the presence of a lady in my compartment.  She looked at me in the greatest contempt.  It confused me; and I am not easily confused.

“Then she told me that she was your mother, and, you may believe, berated me most wonderfully.  She didn’t cry, nor go into hysterics, which made a great impression on me.  Most mothers would.  I felt decidedly uncomfortable.