“Hold on,” said Hal.  “Either you or I must remain here.  We can’t both go.  One of us has to direct the actions of the others.”

“True,” said Chester.  “Will you go or stay?”

“Whatever you say,” said Hal.

“Then,” said Chester, “we shall match to see who goes.”

He produced a coin and Hal did likewise.

“If I match you, I go,” said Hal.  “If not, you go.”

“Agreed!”

The two coins went spinning in the air and each lad caught his own as it descended and covered it with his hand.

“Tails,” said Chester.

“Tails,” said Hal.  “I go.”

“All right,” said Chester.  “Then I’ll be moving back toward the others.  Good luck, old man, and hurry back.”

The two lads clasped hands and Chester turned on his heel and strode away.

“You shall go with me, Ivan,” said Hal.

The big Cossack showed his pleasure.

“I was afraid I was going to be left behind,” he said.  “I thought you might need me.”

“I hope I won’t,” said Hal, “but you never can tell, you know.  Let’s be moving.”

Again he led the way to the road and the two set out briskly.

After half an hour’s walk they came upon a party of searchers.  An officer hailed them as they approached.

“Seen anything of the fugitives?” he demanded.

Hal shook his head negatively.

“Did you?” he asked.

“Not a sign.  It’s a mystery what can have happened to them.  Colonel Roth is a short distance ahead.  I heard him say he believed they were still in the main camp.”

“That so?” replied Hal.  “How is the colonel traveling?  Automobile?”

“Of course.  He’s too dainty for any other kind of travel, you know.”

“Well, we’ll move on ahead a bit,” said Hal.

They continued their journey.

Fifteen minutes later they came upon a large touring car in the road.

“Here is the thing we want,” said Hal quietly.  “Now if it were just turned around, I would take a chance and grab it.  But by the time I turned in this narrow road, I’d have the whole Bulgarian army on me.  We’ll have to do a little figuring.”

They continued on their way until they came up with Colonel Roth’s searching party.  As they approached, an idea suddenly came to Hal.  He sought out the man he knew must be Colonel Roth by his haughty air and his stripes.

“Colonel,” he said, saluting.  “I know it would be a feather in your cap if you could land these fugitives, and I have come to show you where they are.”

“What’s that?” exclaimed the dapper little man.

“I said I’ve come to show you where they are,” said Hal quietly.  “All I ask for turning them over to you is a thousand German marks.”

“H-m-m-m,” muttered the colonel, eyeing the lad keenly.  “Even if you can do what you say, the price is rather high.  I’ll give you five hundred.”