Brunnoi bowed.
“At your service,” he replied. “Now, what can I do for Lieutenants Payne and Crawford, and their Cossack friend?”
The lads started to their feet upon hearing their own names thus upon the lips of a man they did not believe could possibly know them.
“Come, come, gentlemen,” said Brunnoi, smiling at their surprise. “You see, many things are known to me. For instance, now, I could even tell you the object of your expedition to these mountains. Is it necessary?”
Hal threw wide his arms with a gesture of dismay.
“I guess it is not necessary,” he said quietly.
“Good!” cried Brunnoi, for the first time evincing real interest in the lad. “You are a man after my own heart. You have nothing to gain by subterfuge.”
“Well,” said Hal slowly. “You know who we are and the object of our mission. What is your answer? Are you Austrian or Russian? Are you a Slav or not?”
Brunnoi jumped to his feet.
“Yes,” he replied, “I am a Slav; but I am not one of your down-trodden Russian Slavs. I am a Hungarian, and a Hungarian–a true Hungarian–to-day is an Austrian!”