He made no attempt at concealment as he walked along, for he knew that such an action, should he be seen, would be suspicious and would probably mean an unsuccessful termination of his plan.  He had little fear of detection, clothed as he was in a German uniform.

Now the lad reached the house, and sought a means of entrance.  He did not wish to go in the front door, for fear that someone might see him, so, keeping close to the wall, he walked around the house.

His effort was rewarded.  For at the extreme rear was a low window, apparently halfway between the first and second floors.

“Evidently, at a turn in the steps,” Hal told himself.

Quickly he grasped the edge of the sill, and exerting great strength slowly and cautiously drew himself up.  The window was open, and the lad put one leg over the sill.  A second later he sat in the opening, and then disappeared inside the house.

Very cautiously he ascended the steps.  Remembering the exact location of the dining-room, the lad sought out the room above it.  There, at one end of the room, he found what appeared to be a little closet.

Gently opening the door, he peered in.  Nothing but darkness met his eyes.  Hal stepped inside, pulling the door to after him, leaving just a little crack that he might not be suffocated.

Then he laid his ear to the floor and listened intently.  From below came the faint sound of German voices.

Hal ran an exploring finger over the floor of the closet.  His finger felt a little hole, and changing his position the boy saw a very small opening in the floor.  He put his eye to the hole and peered down, and as he made out the figures in the room below he chuckled softly to himself.

The first man upon whom he laid his eyes was Count Von Moltke, commander-in-chief of all the German armies, and who, upon one occasion, had saved him from death before a firing squad.

“Wonder what he would say if he could see me now?” Hal asked himself.

His gaze roved over the room, and there at one end of the table sat an imposing figure in gold-trimmed military uniform, sword between his knees, a fierce military mustache curling upward.

There was no mistaking this figure.  It was Wilhelm II, Emperor of Germany!

CHAPTER XXII.

The Kaiser.

In spite of the fact that Hal had sure sense that Emperor Wilhelm would be in the room below, he felt a peculiar thrill creep over him as he made out the imposing figure of “The War Lord of Europe.”  He whistled softly to himself.

“Great Scott!” he ejaculated, and then looked long and silently.

“To think,” he said to himself after a long pause, “that he is primarily responsible for this great war, with its toll of thousands of lives and the destruction of property worth millions of dollars.”