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Updated: June 17, 2025
He had seen them herding our soldiers like brute beasts, and the commandant had a face like Stumm and a chin that stuck out and wanted hitting. He made an exception for the great airman Lensch, who had downed him. 'He is a white man, that one, he said. 'He came to see me in hospital and told me a lot of things. I think he made them treat me well.
It might almost have been a mosque, judging from the pictures I remembered of mosques. I wished to heaven I had given geography more attention in my time. Presently we stopped, and Stumm led the way out. The train must have been specially halted for him, for it was a one-horse little place whose name I could not make out.
He promptly wrote down 'v. Then I told them of the other name Stumm and Gaudian had spoken. I told of my discovery as I lay in the woodman's cottage. 'The "I" is not the letter of the alphabet, but the numeral. The name is Von Einem Hilda von Einem. 'Good old Harry, said Sandy softly. 'He was a dashed clever chap. Hilda von Einem? Who and where is she? for if we find her we have done the trick.
He was left behind with the lieutenant and I was sent off to the station with my bag in the company of a Landsturm sergeant. Peter was very cross, and I didn't care for the look of things; but I brightened up when I heard I was going somewhere with Stumm. If he wanted to see me again he must think me of some use, and if he was going to use me he was bound to let me into his game.
Stumm had talked of a von Einem woman who was interested in his department, perhaps the same woman as the Hilda he had mentioned the day before to the Under-Secretary. There was not much in that. She was probably some minister's or ambassador's wife who had a finger in high politics. If I could have caught the word Stumm had whispered to Gaudian which made him start and look askance at me!
No more had Stumm, poor devil. I had no ill-will left for him, though coming down that hill I was rather hoping that the two of us might have a final scrap. He was a brute and a bully, but, by God! he was a man. I heard his great roar when he saw the tumult, and the next I saw was his monstrous figure working at the gun. He swung it south and turned it on the fugitives. But he never fired it.
And yet I was well on my way to the East, the Danube could not be fifty miles off, and that way ran the road to Constantinople. It was a fairly desperate position. If I tried to get away Stumm would prevent me, and the odds were that I would go to join Peter in some infernal prison-camp. Those moments were some of the worst I ever spent. I was absolutely and utterly baffled, like a rat in a trap.
'Then what in God's name can you do? shouted Stumm. Peter mumbled some foolishness about nobbling Angola for Germany and starting a revolution among the natives. Stumm flung up his arms and cursed, and the Under-Secretary laughed. It was high time for me to chip in.
The first was that I was well started on my journey, for I couldn't be above two score miles from the Danube. The second was that I had Stumm's pass. I didn't see how I could use it, but there it was. Lastly I had plenty of money fifty-three English sovereigns and the equivalent of three pounds in German paper which I had changed at the hotel. Also I had squared accounts with old Stumm.
'I'll teach you manners, he cried, and took a step forward to reach for Blenkiron's shoulder the game he had twice played with me. Blenkiron never took his hands from his coat pockets. 'Keep your distance, he drawled in a new voice. 'I've got you covered, and I'll make a hole in your bullet head if you lay a hand on me. With an effort Stumm recovered himself. He rang a bell and fell to smiling.
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