hands he solicitously led me in. The officer saluted me and was turning
to withdraw, when I recognised his purpose, and insisted that he should
come to my rooms. Over a glass of wine I warmly thanked him and his
brave comrades for saving me. He replied simply that he was more than
glad, and that Herr Delbrück had at the first taken steps to make all
the searching party pleased; at which ambiguous utterance the maître
d'hôtel smiled, while the officer pleaded duty and withdrew.

'But Herr Delbrück,' I enquired, 'how and why was it that the soldiers
searched for me?'

He shrugged his shoulders, as if in depreciation of his own deed, as he
replied:

'I was so fortunate as to obtain leave from the commander of the
regiment in which I served, to ask for volunteers.'

'But how did you know I was lost?' I asked.

'The driver came hither with the remains of his carriage, which had been
upset when the horses ran away.'

'But surely you would not send a search-party of soldiers merely on this
account?'

'Oh, no!' he answered; 'but even before the coachman arrived, I had this
telegram from the Boyar whose guest you are,' and he took from his
pocket a telegram which he handed to me, and I read:

_Bistritz_.