But the trouble is that if a big man in either Germany or Russia has a
grudge against someone, he can use that whole secret police machinery
against him. That's what Mikail Suvaroff was doing to you."

"But the Germans?"

"He would have seen to it, I suppose, that the secret police on our side
told the Germans here some cock and bull story--enough to induce them to
make it unpleasant for you. That was arranged in advance probably. Right
there on the border, with war starting, those fellows lost their
importance. The soldiers, like Ernst, were in full command. But they'll
be as busy and as active as ever a little way behind the fighting line,
looking for spies. They'll remember what the Russians had to say about
you, and they'll decide that you're a suspicious character, and lock you
up in some fortress till the war's over!"

"Gee! That's a nice prospect! Say, Boris, what am I to do? If I go to
Berlin, I'll be arrested! If I go back to Russia, my uncle will
probably have me boiled in oil or something! If I stay here, your
peasant friends down below will lynch me! I'm beginning to think I'm not
popular around here!"

Boris laughed, but his eyes were grave.

"It's a ridiculous situation," he said. "I don't really know what to
say. I don't believe you need to fear Mikail very much. He has a good
deal to think of by this time, because, now that the war has come, he
won't have time for intrigue. He's a first-class soldier. He made a
splendid record in the war with Japan--and not many of our generals did,
you know. But I tell you what I think we'd better do. Wait here until we