“What should we do when we had to make a change, and would need to show a passport again?”
“There are steamers here that bring up petroleum from the Caspian ports of the Caucasus. Some of them carry passengers, and I think I can find a boat that will take you directly to Petrovsk where you would leave the Caspian to go across the mountains. By one of those boats you would not have to make a change, and showing your passport once would be all that was necessary. Those steamers are not so fine as the regular passenger boats, but they are comfortable.”
“It seems pretty bad, Sid,” said Raymond, “for us to run away and leave father here in prison.”
“I know it does, Ray, but I believe he would want us to go. If we could help him by staying I shouldn’t think for a minute of going, but we should probably only be a burden to him after he gets out. If we reach home, perhaps we can help him more there.”
“I think you should go at once,” said the clerk; “we can’t tell what may happen before to-morrow. Already twenty of the waiters and porters have been taken from the hotel to serve in the army.”
“There is one thing, Ray,” said Sidney; “we must first cable mother in New York what we are going to do. I don’t believe we had better tell about father, though, except to say that he has been detained here.”
“I am sorry,” said the clerk, “but it is not allowed to send any private telegrams out of the country.”
“Could letters be sent out?”
“Oh no; I am sure the German fleet in the Baltic will intercept all mail.”
“The only thing we can do apparently,” said Raymond, “is to get out ourselves, if we can do that.”