Chester gripped the hand hard.

“Good-bye,” he said, “and thanks.”

The little man gazed after the boy as the latter strode away with shoulders squared and head held high.

“He’ll do,” he muttered to himself.

Chester disappeared, and Stubbs turned and strode in the opposite direction.

“Now for my holler—­and my new papers,” he told himself.

Chester was halted at the extreme Austrian front.  He produced Stubbs’ papers, which he gave the man without a word.  Luckily, as Stubbs had explained, the safe conduct was simply made out to “Anthony Stubbs, war correspondent,” without description.

The officer scanned the papers closely, looked Chester over from head to foot and seemed about to speak.  Chester gazed at him sternly and the Austrian closed his lips without uttering a word.  He shrugged his shoulders, summoned an orderly and commanded: 

“Take a flag of truce and conduct this gentleman to the Italian lines.”

Two hours later Chester was safe.

To the Italian officer who approached him, he demanded to be taken to the general commanding the division, and this was done without protest.  Chester explained the circumstances to the general, and the latter believed him.  He turned him over to an orderly, with instructions that he be taken care of; and in a tent of his own, Chester sat down to await the arrival of Stubbs.

Stubbs, after Chester had left him, immediately betook himself to the commander of the Austrian forces at this point.  The latter received him, although he didn’t know Stubbs from any one else.

“General,” said Stubbs, “somebody stole my papers, among them a safe conduct to the Italian lines.  I want to get there.”

“No papers, no safe conduct,” replied the general briefly.

This was what Stubbs had expected.

“Look here now, general,” he said familiarly, “that’s no way for you to talk.  I want to get into Italy, and I had safe conduct from General Oberlatz at Trieste.”

The Austrian commander got to his feet.

“I have told you, sir,” he said, “that without papers you cannot leave our lines.”

“I heard you,” replied Stubbs, “but you don’t seem to understand the answer to my being here.  I’ve got to get into the Italian lines.  You can’t blame me.  The fellow you want is the one who stole my papers; he’s probably a spy.”

“And you may be one, too,” said the officer.

“Sure, I may be,” said Stubbs; “only I’m not.  Now, I’ll tell you, you just push through a little wire to General Oberlatz and he’ll straighten this thing out.”

“Can’t be done,” replied the general.

“But it’s got to be done,” declared Stubbs.  “I can’t stay around here when I have orders to go elsewhere.  I don’t want to have to take this matter up with my friend, the archduke.”

The Austrian commander looked up in surprise at this last remark.