'You've landed from a steamer here, rather an exceptional thing to do anyway,' Major Elwell explained. 'There are just a few questions we should like to ask.' 'I'm an American citizen,' the other declared. 'I have my passport here. I can land where I choose.' 'In ordinary times, without a doubt,' the Major replied smoothly. 'Just now, I am sorry to be troublesome, but there are some new enactments which have to be considered. We shall have to ask you to give up anything you may have in the way of correspondence, for instance, to be censored.' There was a moment's silence. The face of the man in the car had suddenly become tense. Lavendale, who had been looking around, gave a little start. 'Why, it's Johnson!' he exclaimed--'Leonard Johnson! You remember me, don't you--Lavendale?' The man in the car nodded eagerly. 'Of course!' he assented. 'Look here, if you've any pull in these parts, I wish you'd persuade this officious gentleman to let me go on quickly. I'm in a hurry to reach London.' 'I'm afraid I can't,' Lavendale regretted. 'I'm hung up myself for some piffling reason. Where have you come from?' 'Holland,' was the brief reply. 'If you are really in a hurry, sir,' Major Elwell intervened politely, 'you are only wasting time by this discussion with your friend. Before you proceed, you will have to come into the guardroom with me.' 'I'm damned if I do!' Mr. Johnson replied. 'If you lay hands on me, I'll report the whole affair at the Embassy directly I arrive in London. I'm well enough known there, and they'll tell you that I am in the American Embassy at Berlin.' Lavendale shook his head gently. 'Not at the present moment, I think, Johnson,' he remarked. 'I'll answer for it, though, that you are a reputable American citizen.' 'My instructions are entirely independent of your nationality,' Major Elwell said firmly. 'I must trouble you to descend at once.' There was scarcely a whisper, scarcely even a glance between the two men in the hindmost car. Action seemed to be entirely spontaneous. Their car, which had moved perhaps a foot or so back while they were talking, as though the brakes had failed to hold, was suddenly swung to the right. The front wing caught the soldier who was standing on guard, and the car, plunging forward with one wheel upon the pavement, threw him off his balance. He reeled back against the wall, and almost before they could realize what had happened, the car was tearing up the hill. The sergeant snatched a rifle from one of the men but Major Elwell stretched out his hand. 'We don't want that!' he exclaimed. 'Telephone at once to all the places en route to London, car number LC 3221. Can you make any sort of speed, Mr. Lavendale?' 'Jump in,' was the grim reply. 'You'll soon see.'