"Hail! King of half a country," he said.
Quietly, swiftly, and without ostentation, Saunders and Meyer covered the newcomer with their revolvers.
"Hands up when you speak to his Majesty," said the latter.
Von Hügelweiler dropped his ski-ing pole and held up his hands.
"I have a weapon in my breast," he said, "but it is not for any here."
Meyer quietly inserted his hand into the Captain's breast pocket, and drew out a revolver. It was of the Grimland army pattern, and loaded in all its chambers. He swiftly extracted the cartridges and transferred them to his own person, and then,—having satisfied himself that the Captain had no further munitions of war,—replaced the unloaded weapon in its original position.
"Now you may talk without the inconvenience of holding your hands in that fatiguing posture," he said. "What is it?"
"I come from Weidenbruck," said Von Hügelweiler, "and I bring news. The day before yesterday an expedition left the capital for Weissheim."
Meyer nodded.
"That is so," he agreed; "we get to know things, even in this charmingly remote district. Still, details are always agreeable. What does the force consist of?"