Into Lower-Alsace, on the last leg of the journey, Roque and the boys took to horse, with cavalry escort. They were again on real fighting ground. Henri picked out of a conversation between Roque and the captain of the troop the words "Homberg castle," later that a group of important German officers resided there, and still later that within those walls Anglin was a prisoner. Billy was immediately posted by his chum as to the situation. Upon arrival at the castle, Roque, in that mysterious but effective way of his, established his footing as a privileged guest, and his first move was to pass the guard at the door of the strong-room, where his chief rival in the art peculiar was confined. The boys without reprimand were close at the heels of the German agent. Anglin was sitting on a bench, under the checkered light of a high, barred window. While his face showed harsh lines of great strain, the inevitable smile was in his eyes. He arose instantly from the bench, and bowed gracefully to the foe who confronted him. "Monsieur, you are welcome." This to Roque. Upon the boys he bestowed not the slightest recognition. Roque, not to be outgeneraled as a diplomat, inclined his head in return. "I came a long way to visit you, sir," he politely stated, "and would have regretted had you felt otherwise than you have intimated." This fencing with buttons on the foils was soon succeeded by the sharp points unprotected. "Ardelle, the longer the breath is in you the more you can tell; is the breath worth the telling?" "You speak in riddles, Monsieur," quietly replied the prisoner. "Do you deny that you are Ardelle?" demanded Roque. "Am I now on trial?" was the counter-question. Roque extended a menacing finger. "Have a care, man!" he thundered. The prisoner calmly ignored the growing wrath of his arch-enemy, shrugged his shoulders, and with a wave of the hand indicated that continued argument was useless. "You will have until to-morrow morning to decide whether you will accept me as an advocate or an accuser." The Frenchman turned wearily toward the window, and with his hands folded behind him stood watching through the bars the little gray cloudlets pushing their way through the blue expanse of the sky. It might be that this view would not concern him after the morrow. He was thus engaged when Roque stamped his way out of the room. Henri would have paused in the hope of one look from Anglin but the latter seemed wholly unconscious of the presence of the lads. Under the steely exterior of Roque, the milk of human kindness had not wholly curdled, for he sadly said, half to himself and half to his boy companions: "He must expect no more than I could expect; when we fail we fail alone, and so alone must we suffer."