"By smoke!" he ejaculated, slapping his knee. "This is great—absolutely. I find that I am now Baron Eitel von Stopelfeld, Major of the 19th Reserve Hanoverian Regiment, engaged on special service in the Austrian Empire. Ah, here we are: private and confidential memorandum outlining my important duties—signed by the Kaiser's Head of the General Staff, too."
The instructions were to the effect that Baron von Stopelfeld was to make a tour of inspection of various military prison camps in the Austrian Empire, with a view of arranging for the transfer of a certain number of Serbian and Italian prisoners of war to Germany, to take the places of those Russian captives who, in view of the Muscovite surrender, were to be repatriated.
At the foot of the typewritten text was a paragraph in ordinary writing, reminding the delegate that he must also pay particular attention to the important matter mentioned in his recent interview with the Chief of General Staff; and, unless any news of vital interest rendered it expedient, the Baron was not to communicate either by letter or wire before the 19th.
"And to-day's the 12th," soliloquised the pseudo von Stopelfeld. "That gives me six clear days. Hullo, what's this?"
He stopped and picked up a telegraph form—crumpled, and with one corner burnt. It looked as if the Baron were in the act of destroying it when he was hurled to his death.
"Cipher, worse luck," muttered the Englishman. "Received at 9 a.m. on the 12th. Handed in at Berlin, delivered at Hirschberg; that's almost the nearest town across the frontier."
Further search revealed a complete set of maps, a road guide, and book containing the code. Upon the sudden crash the latter had fallen from the German major's hands and had slipped between the cushions.
Decoded the message ran:
"Above all things observe carefully any indications of disaffection in the ranks of our Allies, especially the Hungarian regiments. Do not commit your discoveries to writing. In particular make the acquaintance of Major Karl Hoffer, the commandant of the Ostrovornik mines disciplinary camp. On production of your credentials he will give you the latest formula for the manufacture of——"
The instructions ended in a word that did not appear in the code book, which was the only fly in the ointment that the Englishman had found.