"The only time I missed reading that paper," observed old Mr. King, regretfully.
"And he is staying at our very hotel," finished the lady, "for I have seen you, sir, with your party there."
"Another stroke of good luck," thought old Mr. King, "and quite easy to obtain the information I want as to a master for Polly and Jasper."
"Now then, children," he said to the two hanging on the conversation, "run back to your seats and enjoy the view. This news of ours will keep."
So Polly and Jasper ran back obediently, but every step of the toilsome ascent by which the car pushed its way to the wonderful heights above, Polly saw everything with the words, "Herr Bauricke is at our hotel," ringing through her ears; and she sat as in a maze. Jasper was nearly as bad.
And then everybody was pouring out of the cars and rushing for the hotel on the summit; all but Mr. King's party and a few others, who had their rooms engaged by telegraphing up. When they reached the big central hall there was a knot of Germans all talking together, and on the outside fringe of this knot, people were standing around and staring at the central figure. Suddenly some one darted away from this outer circle and dashed up to them. It was the lady from their hotel.
"I knew you'd want to know," she exclaimed breathlessly; "that's Herr Bauricke himself—he came up on our train—just think of it!—the big man in the middle with the black beard." She pointed an excited finger at the knot of Germans.
Old Mr. King followed the course of the finger, and saw his "impertinent fellow who wasn't worth minding."