“Where are you going?” he asked sharply.

“I’ll tell you,” was the reply.  “I am a war correspondent and I am just looking about a bit.  Am I going too far?  If so, I shall turn back.”

“Well, I can permit you to go no farther,” said the Austrian, with a smile.

“Oh, all right,” said Stubbs.

He drew a cigar from his pocket, bit off the end, struck a match and lighted it.  Then, with a start, he produced a second cigar.

“Beg pardon,” he said.  “Have a smoke?”

The Austrian signified that he would.  Stubbs gave him the cigar and struck a second match.  The Austrian leaned from his horse and put the cigar to the flame.  At that moment Stubbs drew his revolver with his free hand and, dropping the match, seized the Austrian by the leg with the other.  The latter came tumbling from his horse, and when he looked up, he gazed squarely into the mouth of Stubbs’ revolver.

“Quiet,” said the little man briefly.  “I want you to change clothes with me.”

The Austrian appeared about to protest, but changed his mind and signified his willingness to comply with the command.

“Stand off there and remove your clothes,” ordered Stubbs, pointing.

The man obeyed, Stubbs the while keeping him covered with his revolver.  The man’s clothes removed, Stubbs approached him.

“I’ll have to tie you up minus your outer garments,” he told him.  “I can’t take any chances on you while I am donning your robes.”

He tied him up in most approved fashion and then gagged him with his handkerchief.

“Just to keep you from giving an alarm,” he said.

Rapidly he donned the Austrian’s clothes and then walked over to his horse.  This he mounted and turned the animal’s head southward.  He waved a hand at the Austrian.

“Auf Wiedersehen,” he said, and rode away.

He kept as far as possible from the Austrian troops that patrolled the outposts and half an hour later was beyond the Austrian lines.  Out of sight he halted and discarded the Austrian uniform he had drawn on over his civilian attire and then rode on more confidently.

And the little man welcomed a command that broke upon his ears a short time later: 

“Halt!”

He drew rein.  A soldier in Italian uniform advanced toward him.

“Thank the Lord,” said the little man.

He drew a hand across a moist brow and gave a whistle of pure relief.

“No one will ever know how scared I was,” he muttered.  “Now to find Chester.”

He turned to the soldier who had accosted him.

“Take me immediately to your commanding officer,” he ordered.

CHAPTER XVIII.

Hal and uncle John.

While Chester and his old friend, Anthony Stubbs, war correspondent, are resting at ease for the moment with the Italian troops at the extreme northern front, it behooves us to go back and see what has happened to Hal and Uncle John.