"Silence!" commanded the officer in a voice denoting his displeasure at the interruption. "It will be best for you to keep silent."
"You may give your answer to the charges if you desire," said the Kaiser in a not unkindly tone. "But," he went on, "you will remember that if the report of Captain von Liebknecht is at all correct matters look rather unfavorable for you at present."
"I'll admit that latter part without argument," said Jimmie, much relieved that he was being given an opportunity to speak. "Things look rather odd, as you say, but it is only looks. The facts are that we are over in this country on a peaceful mission, and have refused to give information to either the Germans or the Russians. That rather squares the account, doesn't it?"
"In a measure, yes," admitted the Kaiser. "But your presence with the Russian troops does not incline us to look with much favor upon yourself or your comrades. Further," he continued, "the fact that your comrades have a high-powered aeroplane in our territory and have tried to rescue you from our regiment appears as if they do not care to be open and frank with us. Can you explain that?"
"I think I can," replied Jimmie gravely. "I can see now that our actions would appear rather mysterious to your officers, but you must also remember that they refused to take our word for anything. They simply went ahead and acted on the opinion they received from first sight. Our statements were not given any weight at all."
"Perhaps the officers were a trifle over-zealous, we will admit," continued the Kaiser, "but you have been well treated, have you not?"
"Fairly well," replied Jimmie. "I may say," he added, "that we have been very well treated considering all things. But I'd like to have that little package that was taken from me."
The Kaiser turned an inquiring glance toward von Liebknecht.
"It is this little package to which I referred briefly in my statement," explained von Liebknecht, producing the packet that had been rescued from the Cossack uniform by Jimmie when Otto had attempted to put the discarded clothes in the fire.
"And what do you say is in this packet?" inquired the Kaiser, addressing Jimmie, as he readied out a hand to take the parcel from von Liebknecht. "Is it your own property?"