that they were almost frozen. Introductions now followed all around and
Ivan seemed genuinely pleased to meet Chester. He was profuse in his
apologies for his rough treatment, while Chester was dumbfounded to
learn that his captor was the brother of his old friend Alexis. They
shook hands heartily.

"If you had not pestered me with so many questions, I would not have
bothered you," Ivan explained. "To tell the truth, I took you for a
couple of Austrian spies."

"Tell us, Chester," said Hal, "what have you learned?"

"Learned?" echoed Chester. "We haven't learned anything, except that it
is awfully cold in these mountains. I'm going to tell you right now, it's
no fun being locked up in an icebox."

"It is not," Colonel Anderson agreed dryly, stretching his feet out
to the fire.

"I'll tell you how it came about," said Chester, smiling at Ivan.
"Colonel Anderson and I had just completed a most terrible climb. Coming
once again to a level spot we sat down to rest. We saw a man coming
along--a big man, none other than Ivan here. I suggested that we ask him
a few questions."

"You asked them, all right," said Ivan.

"Well," Chester continued, "he didn't tell us much. In fact, he was as
mum as an oyster. Colonel Anderson took a hand with no better luck. It
seems that between us we talked too much. Ivan here didn't like it. He