“Tell me, Major Harding,” she begged, while Larry was questioning Karl, “why did they want to bring her here? I don’t yet quite see what they got out of it.”
“Don’t you? If they were caught they could claim her as an ally. She would protest innocence and would probably be believed. They needed Karl to work with them near Coblenz, and Elizabeth was a fine excuse for his presence. I suppose as soon as Karl knew she was in Coblenz he agreed to make up with her.”
“But what is it they are doing? You didn’t tell me?” Lucy asked with breathless eagerness.
“Come, Harding,” said Larry, before the elder officer could reply. “Don’t you think we’d better start? We can take them all in the boat. It must be after six o’clock.”
Lucy thought confusedly, “Elizabeth ought to be cooking Father’s dinner.” Suddenly she exclaimed, “What’s that?”
Two shots had sounded from below the hill along the river bank. They were followed by a shout which echoed among the rocky slopes. Lucy and the two officers ran to the window, but below the hillside all was dark where the moonlight did not penetrate.
“What on earth,” Larry muttered. “Let’s go, Harding. That didn’t come from the hamlet. It sounded right by the landing-stage. Rogers has a pistol, but why should he fire? Come on!”
“Don’t be too hasty. We’ve got these men to guard. Easy enough for them to bolt.”
“Ed, you guard Franz,” Larry ordered. “I’ll take Karl, Harding, and you might give a hand to Lucy. Elizabeth isn’t going to run away.”
Lucy was still standing by the window, peering out into the moonlight and shadow. As Larry stopped speaking she heard the sound of footsteps running up the hillside and across the level. A figure appeared in the moonlight around one angle of the cottage and a panting voice shouted: