"Well, I'll tell you," said the general. "You remember when I pushed you away from the train?" he queried, turning to Hal.
Hal nodded.
"When I turned round after that, feeling greatly pleased with myself, I noticed, for the first time, the presence of a lady in my compartment. She looked at me in the greatest contempt. It confused me; and I am not easily confused.
"Then she told me that she was your mother, and, you may believe, berated me most wonderfully. She didn't cry, nor go into hysterics, which made a great impression on me. Most mothers would. I felt decidedly uncomfortable.
"I realized that I had acted like a boor. We had gone some distance, but
I had the train stopped and backed into the station. You were not there.
I telephoned your ambassador. You had been there and gone. We were unable
to find you.
"I prevailed upon your mother to continue her journey to Brussels. I issued an order to all my generals to keep a lookout for you and give you safe-conduct into Belgium. It seems, however, that none of them recognized you, or that you kept out of sight.
"I promised your mother I would get you out of the country in some way, and she was greatly relieved. She knew I would do it. That's all there is to the story. Now, I don't know what you lads were doing when you were captured, and I don't want to know. If you are mixed up in this war in any way, I don't want to know anything about it; but, if you are, take my advice and go home to America. As I say, I don't want to know what you have been doing since you left Berlin. It might force me to change my attitude. I promised your mother I would get you out of Germany, and I shall do it."
Hal and Chester were greatly surprised by this recital, and both boys thanked the general as well as they could.
The general stepped to the entrance of his hut, and raised his hand. An officer entered and came to a salute.
"I have given these two lads safe-conduct into the Belgian lines," said the general. "See that they get there in safety."