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Updated: June 29, 2025
The ambassador entered, followed by Robard, and the prisoners found themselves aboard also a moment later. The gondola moved off. "Well, what next?" demanded Chester. "It's too deep for me," was the reply. "But we are going to learn something; that's sure. Perhaps it's a good thing we were captured and brought along. Who knows? we may be able to avert some mischief."
"What I say is true," he said quietly, as he noted the look of uncertainty on their faces. "You can easily tell by investigating." "It's a lie!" shouted Robard. The men hesitated. "Look and see," said Chester. "The boy is right," said one of them. "I'll look." He stepped toward the door. "Stand where you are!" cried Robard. He moved upon the other and clenched his fists.
He put a foot in back of the Austrian and pushed hard. Robard lost his balance and fell, but he kept his grip, and Uncle John was pulled to the floor with him. Uncle John freed an arm and planted his fist squarely in the Austrian's face. The latter gave a cry of rage and shouted for help. Uncle John smiled grimly. "You'll need it," he said.
"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.
"You think so, eh?" sneered the newcomer. "Tell me," addressing Chester, "what are you doing here?" "That's for you to find out," replied the lad. "Well, I'll find out," exclaimed the man. "Do you know who I am?" "Why, yes; your name is Robard, isn't it?" The other stepped back in surprise. "So you know me, eh!" he exclaimed. "Then you are not burglars." "Hardly," replied Chester.
Fortunately, he turned into a room facing upon the street where Chester and Uncle John waited without, though it was the room beyond the one beneath the window of which they stood. But, Hal noticed, there was a door between the two rooms. "Ought to be easy enough," he told himself. "You can wait here for Herr Robard," said the servant, and moved to withdraw.
"I had surmised as much," said Robard. "Well, good-night." He waved a hand airily and stepped from the room. Then he turned and poked his head back through the door. "A word more," he said. "In case you should unloose your bonds, I would advise you not to try to escape. There will be a man on guard here in the hall all night, and another outside, so you cannot leave by the window."
But they all agreed on one thing, as expressed by Chester: "We'll make a break for freedom at the first opportunity, no matter what the odds against us." One of Robard's hirelings brought them a bite to eat about noon and again shortly after 6 o'clock. Darkness fell and still Robard himself had failed to appear. "Maybe the time for departure has been postponed," said Chester.
"I'll tell you," he said at length, "I would like for you to go to Vienna with me and substantiate my story to the emperor. You will say that my story should need no proof, as I am the ambassador, but Robard has influential friends there. He would easily discredit the stories of these two men here. With you it would be different. Will you go?" "I would rather not, sir," replied Chester quietly.
Robard cast discretion to the winds, and, lowering his revolver, struck at the lad. It was the chance for which Chester had been waiting and hoping. He ducked under the heavy blow, and instead of returning it, he kicked out with his left foot. His aim was true and Robard's revolver fell to the floor with a clatter. Chester pounced on it, beating the Austrian by the fraction of a second.
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