Evening star., 1920-03-08
CHAPTER VI.

Gn the preceding chapter Henri
Serdici told of being taken, with the
crown prince and his fancee to the
Austrian commander of the distric
who proceeded to invite them to lunch
while determining what course to take
in this unusual case. Serdicfs narra-
tive continues.)
We sat there at the dining table. we
three uneasy guests, trying to talk
placidly and intelligently about sub
jects like the war and political up
heavals in Russia. The general was
most affable. and smiles. either OF
hospitableness or of secret amuse-
ment came and went on his stern
face.
We even talked in a light vein about
our situation. l said 1 could not
understand how the officials had pene-
trated our incognito, and added that
efficiency had become more marked in
the district.
Il received orders only two weeks
ago to be more strict remarked the
general, f1attered.
and yet" 1 said. II still do not un-
derstand how you discovered us. Our
passports were all right. were they
not?"
The general laughed.
Indeed" he said, "the first thing 1
asked my officer was why you had been
stopped when your passports were
all right But" he added, more grave
ly, I'VE were we'll informed"
And he smiled secretively.
Throughout this lunch. which might
have been highly enjoyable under other
circumstances, messengers brought
kilograms and handed them to the
general. Excusing himself, he read
them at once. Evidently they con-
70,
intentions. We sat, the objects of all
this correspondence. nightly tan
talized and aware, too, of the fact that
the train for Odessa would leave at 2
o'clock and that. if there was hope
of taking it. we must be moving.
vealed that he had ordered the train
held until further orders, with first
class apartment reserved for an emer-
gency."
Finally. it appeared. the correspond
ence with Odessa was ended. and the
general ordered two carriages to con-
duct us to the station. We were on
the road again, but under circum-
stances scarcely clear. What did the
general know? And for what were
we bound?
The little procession seemed suf-
ficiently symbolic of war time. In
the first carriage were seated the
prince and the general. and beside
the driver sat hussar. with MS
rife across his shoulder. In the sec
ond carriage. another armed nussar
on the drivers seat. and behind. be-
sides Mile. Lambrino and myself. was
the generals adjutant. who. we FOUND
had been ordered to accompany US TO
Odessa
In this order we dashed through
the little town OF Tlraspol, .he .he nova nooas
Of our horses Gathering on the pave.
ments and people running out or
houses and shops to see what great
personages were passing. one. d,
least was greater than they would
have dreamed.
sentinels and encountered innumera-
BILE travellers descending from the
train. But we did not shrink from
discovery, as discovery had already
come to US. At last on platform
empty save for the stationmaster-
in full dress-and an officer on duty.
we bade goodbye to the anna pie
general and got into the emergency
carriage. The train started at once
and we had leisure to ponder some
of the strange aspects OF human oes-
tiny.
Prince Carol. in voice inaudible.
excent to me. seized the occasion to
tell me what had transpired IN ms
private interview with the general.
That officer. it seemed. had greeted
him with the words, your royai
highness (the general. you see. was
in no doubt about his Identity. i am
sorry that anything disagreeable
should happen to you in my prov
lnce"
And after this he said: Il beg your
royal highness to accept one OF my
automobiles, either to continue your
journey or to return to your own
Prince Carol, so he recounted to
me, replied: II cannot return to my
country"
And the prince requested the gen.
eral to respect his incognito and per-
NIT him to take train for Odessa.
to which the general agreed. Evil
d.nt1,, ~. ;nFor ot}on he had though