‘If this is Bugg’s game, and you have given him an hour’s start, I calculate he will be opening a store in Havana this day six months.’ The Pork Trust, it was clear, had everything to gain by a war by which the Sugar Trust had everything to lose. But, in spite of Mr. Stearine’s confident assurances, I continued to have my own opinion about the power behind Herr Kehler. ‘Do you want me to act?’ I demanded briefly. ‘I want you to take a hand--yes.’ The Sugar Agent took out his pocket-book, and counted out bills to the amount of ten thousand dollars. ‘You can play up to that,’ he added, ‘and then you can let me know how the game stands. I guess I shall buy Pork Consols.’ With this discouraging observation, Stearine left. It did not take me long to decide on my plans. As it was not likely that Kehler was apprehensive of being watched, it would be an easy task to trace him, and I at once gave orders to my staff to that effect, with the result that I learned in a few hours that the Bavarian had put up at the Hotel des Deux Aigles, and was leaving by the Sud Express for Madrid. I now decided on one of the boldest and most effective strokes in my repertory. I went openly to the station, took my own ticket, and entered the compartment of the sleeping-car in which Kehler had booked his own place. The real astonishment of the Bavarian at seeing me I met with an affectation of moderate surprise on my own part. ‘So you are going with me?’ I observed. ‘With you!’ Kehler exclaimed. ‘It appears so. No doubt you have been instructed?’ Kehler denied it energetically. ‘But you refused to participate in a certain design,’ he reminded me. ‘I laid down certain conditions, which you declined to fulfil, but which have since been complied with by your principal.’ The Bavarian was thunderstruck. I relied upon his having reported his failure to whomever it was that had sent him to me; and there was nothing impossible in the suggestion that I had in consequence been approached directly. ‘You have credentials, I suppose?’ he asked. I nodded carelessly. ‘You will convince me, perhaps?’ he persisted. ‘Are you authorised to convince me?’ was my retort. ‘You know it--no.’ I shrugged my shoulders and remained silent. So commenced the most extraordinary journey I have ever taken, a journey which was destined to end only at Havana. Across France and Spain and the Atlantic Ocean we travelled side by side, each unwilling to lose sight of the other; I, resolved to find out and if possible thwart the designs of my companion; Kehler, unable to determine whether I was an opponent, a rival, or a spy set over him by those on whose behalf he was engaged. On the frontier, at Hendaye, a despatch was handed in to me through the carriage window. It was from Stearine, and contained these words, whose terrible significance I was designed to learn later-- ‘_United States warship_ Maine _arrived harbour Havana._’