Larry said a word to the soldier which sent the man, with a quick salute, down a near-by street. Then he showed Lucy a motor-boat moored to a little wharf at the river’s edge. “I suppose I’m wasting my breath, Lucy, when I ask you to stay here and let us go on the wild-goose chase?”
“Us? Who’s us?” said Lucy, ignoring the proposal. “I don’t want anyone else to know.”
“You won’t object to Harding, will you?”
“Major Dick Harding? Is he here? Is he coming?” cried Lucy, forgetting for a moment her anxiety.
“Yes. Got here this morning. You remember Bob wrote him asking about von Eckhardt? He’s come with quite a bit of news, including some that will prove Bob a good guesser. Here he is now.”
Major Harding came swinging along at a quick walk, and his face lighted up at sight of Larry’s companion.
“How are you, Captain Lucy?” he exclaimed, holding out his hand. “I thought you were in Badheim. I was going out there to see you. What are you doing here?”
“We’re waiting for you, Major Harding,” said Lucy, her excitement returning with the recollection of her strange errand. “We need your help.”
Major Harding glanced quickly from her to Larry for confirmation. Larry nodded, then said, “Will you come out on the river with us, Harding? There’s the boat. We’ll explain as we go. Lucy’s got something up, as usual.”
Major Harding agreed and asked not another question until the motor-boat’s crew had pushed off from the dock and the swift little craft was moving up-stream with its three passengers. Then Larry handed him Elizabeth’s letter, and repeated all he himself knew of Elizabeth’s relations with Franz and Herr Johann.