The Austrian officer stepped briskly three paces into the room, halted, clicked his heels, and saluted, the Englishman likewise standing smartly to attention and returning the compliment.
"Well, major," said the latter, signing to his guest to take a chair. "This is a pleasant but unexpected surprise."
"I happened to see your name on the register, baron," replied Hoffer, "and knowing that you were due to visit my establishment I anticipated the meeting. I understand that you are relieving me of the care of a hundred rascally Serbs and Italians. I wish you joy of them."
For some minutes the two men discussed the merits and demerits of the various nationalities of the prisoners of war, while the supposititious baron ordered a couple of bottles of wine.
Under the influence of the juice of the grape Karl Hoffer waxed injudiciously communicative.
"That is a mightily efficient gas you are manufacturing at Ostrovornik," remarked the Englishman.
"Yes," replied the Austrian. "Perhaps you are already aware that this district is practically the only place in Central Europe where sulphur is found in large quantities. This deposit was only discovered since the war. The trouble was that the gas was so efficient that we lost hundreds of prisoners during the experimental stages—not that it mattered much since they were prisoners, except that the new drafts had to be instructed: a tedious business, as you can well imagine. Until we hit upon an effectual antidote we lost men at the rate of twenty a day. The symptoms? Acute irritation of the epidermis, quickly followed by paralysis of the limbs. Death will ensue within twenty minutes. Curiously enough, the gas does not affect the respiratory organs. It is a remarkably efficacious weapon to employ against our enemies."
The Austrian leant back in his chair and laughed heartily. The gruesome details seemed to afford him intense amusement.
"Then you found an antidote?" asked the Englishman, with well-assumed indifference.
Major Hoffer leant forward and lowered his voice to a husky whisper.