“So he did,” said the general, “and you deserved it.”

Chester now approached the colonel and extended a hand.

“I bear you no ill will,” he said.

The officer glanced at him searchingly for a moment, and then took the hand.

“I have done you and your friend an injustice,” he said.  “I am sorry.”

“Say no more about it,” replied Chester.

Colonel Fuesco also shook hands with Hal.

“But what of my paper?” he demanded of the general.

“I can give you a description of the man who took it,” said Hal, and did so.  When he mentioned that the man had a scar on his face, the two Italian officers uttered a cry.

“Hans Robard!” they exclaimed.

“You know him, then?” asked Chester.

“Rather,” said the general dryly.  “He is an Austrian, and attached to the Austrian embassy here.  Of course there has as yet been no formal declaration of war between Italy and Austria, but it has been known for days that war was sure to come.  Colonel Fuesco here has been entrusted with important documents relating to troop movements, and it is this document that Robard has stolen.  It must be recovered.”

“We are willing to help all we can,” said Chester.  “With a little forethought we should have been able to recover it ourselves.  Robard made monkeys of us.”

“He made a monkey of me, too,” said the colonel ruefully.

“The thing to be done,” said Chester, “is to get track of him.”

“That’s easy enough,” was the reply.  “He can be found at the embassy; but he will deny that he has the paper.  Also, we cannot arrest him.  Being a member of a foreign embassy, in times of peace he is immune from arrest.”

“And he will take the paper with him when he leaves Italy,” said Major Derevaux.

“It was stolen once,” said Hal thoughtfully.  “Why cannot it be stolen again?”

“What do you mean?” asked Colonel Fuesco.

“Just what I say.  Robard stole the document from you.  Some one must recover it from Robard without his knowledge.”

“An excellent idea!” exclaimed General Ferrari.  “But who will do this work?”

“We shall be glad to undertake it, your excellency,” said Hal.

“You!  But you are so young for such a piece of work.”

“Don’t you believe it, general,” Major Derevaux interrupted.  “If the papers can be recovered, these lads can get them.  You could not put the mission in better hands.”

“But the danger—­”

“We have been in danger before, sir,” said Chester quietly.

The general considered a moment, and then brought a hand down on his desk with tremendous force.

“So be it!” he exclaimed.  “And if you are successful, Italy will know how to reward you.”

“We seek no reward, sir,” said Hal quietly.  “Then we are at liberty to go now, sir?”

“Yes.  I shall not hamper you with instructions.”