These men deserved the greatest sympathy, for the Princess found it most irksome to be followed, and would take the greatest pains to “throw them off the scent.” When they began to realize their obnoxiousness to this tempestuous daughter of the Hohenzollerns it was amusing to see them unobtrusively materialize from behind a tree after she had passed by, skulking from bush to bush, withdrawing into the shadows of the houses, or pretending to be mere harmless passers-by absorbed in the study of shop-windows. The Princess, whose sharp eye instantly detected their manœuvres, once observed: “If we had not known they were detectives we might have thought them murderers lying in wait.” Men new to their duties would begin by showing too much zeal, and invariably found that all their instructions from head-quarters, whatever they might be, were immediately negatived and rendered of no effect, for if they approached within not merely speaking, but shouting distance, they were treated with withering scorn, and the Princess would fly through the bushes on rapid, indignant feet, while the unfortunate man puffed gallantly but hopelessly in the rear. Finally the footman was told to instruct the detectives as to the probable direction of her walks, so that they could make occasional cross-country cuts; and they quickly learned the necessity of “taking cover” and becoming merged in the surrounding landscape as soon as the keen-eyed Princess appeared in sight. They were not only absolved but strictly prohibited from bowing or saluting, and were urged to be “unmannerly rather than troublesome”; and they soon learned to carry out their duties so unobtrusively that when, as often happened, they were requisitioned for the service of the Emperor, the suite remarked on the excellent training and wonderful tact of the _Geheim-Polizisten_, quite unaware how much of their education had been due to a young “_Backfisch_” in a blue serge suit. Royalties, especially German Royalties, spend a large portion of their existence in travelling; and it may here be noted how much the advent of the automobile has tended to simplify life at court, and to abolish those manifold small ceremonies, red carpets and constantly-bowing officials, which were formerly attendant on the shortest royal journeys. It has relieved the royalties themselves, as well as the functionaries of the Court, of an infinite multitude of tedious, tiresome, small formalities and duties, and the motor-car is now invariably used excepting for very long journeys. Donau-Eschingen is the name of the residence of Prince Max Egon, Fürst zu Fürstenburg, with whom His Majesty stays every year for a few days to shoot capercailzie, which abound in the woods of the region bordering on the Schwarzwald. On one occasion the Empress and her daughter accompanied the Emperor, who had just returned from Norway.