Rowland now knew that it was he or Förster who had traced the bag to Berghof and had killed him shortly after Berghof and Rowland had parted in Munich! There no time to lose. For the last half hour Rowland hadn't dared to hope that he could be in time to reach the meeting, but now his sense of humor long restrained got the better of him and he laughed outright as he snapped the catch of the bag and lifted his burden. To reach the Committee and formally restore the stolen funds!
But how could he reach Munich now that the last train had gone?
He hurried down the stairs, when, his precious bag beside him, he liberated the gasping Taglitz and when the Prussian sat up bewildered:
"You are to go at once to the village for a doctor for Herr Förster who lies in the front room upstairs, badly wounded----"
"Zu befehl," muttered the bewildered man, "if you will but let me loose."
"Thanks, old top--and you might tell Herr Hochwald when you see him that the chimney has been cleaned. Verstehen sie?"
"Zu befehl," muttered the other.
Rowland hurried forth, crossed the terrace and went carefully down the stone steps and in a few minutes had untied the painter, taken up the oars and pushed off. But as he cleared the terrace wall and came out into view of the house, there was a streak of flame from the upper window and bullets splashed all around him.
"Not so sick as he looked," he muttered, "or maybe it's Rameses the Second."
And then just to show that he was feeling quite happy himself Rowland emptied the rest of his clip at the window when the firing suddenly ceased.