What did it mean? The baron sat and studied over the remarkable phenomenon until a shuffling sound struck on his ears. When that commenced, the knocking ceased.
Under the baron’s astounded eyes a bit of white cloth was showing itself beneath the door which had so mysteriously claimed his attention. Some one, it seemed, was trying to push the piece of cloth through into the living room.
Softly the baron arose, crossed to the door, bent down, and pulled the cloth away.
It was a small handkerchief. Turning it over in his hand, he saw that there was writing in pencil on one side of it.
The plot was thickening! The baron, overjoyed to find a little excitement where he had expected nothing more than a talkfest, sat down again, spread the handkerchief out on his knee, and puzzled his brain over the following:
“Stranger: Will you be a friend to a woman in distress? I am being detained in this room against my will. I must escape and go back to my home. The horse that brought me should be in the corral. The window of the room is boarded up on the outside, but the boards can be easily removed.”
Had the writing been in German, the baron would not have been long in deciphering it, but it was in English and, in places, almost illegible. However, he managed to get at the gist of the communication. A flutter of joy ran through him.
Here was an adventure!
And the baron could not live and be happy unless adventures were constantly piling in upon him.
From the moment the baron had deciphered the writing on the handkerchief, and had made up his mind to act upon the request of the imprisoned lady, he found nothing monotonous in his surroundings.