At sight of him they drew in their mounts and eyed him suspiciously.
Nor was there great cause for wonderment in that, for the American
presented aught but a respectable appearance. His khaki motoring
suit, soaked from immersion in the moat, had but partially dried
upon him. Mud from the banks of the stagnant pool caked his legs to
the knees, almost hiding his once tan puttees. More mud streaked his
jacket front and stained its sleeves to the elbows. He was
bare-headed, for his cap had remained in the moat at Blentz, and his
disheveled hair was tousled upon his head, while his full beard had
dried into a weird and tangled fringe about his face. At his side
still hung the sword that Joseph had buckled there, and it was this
that caused the two men the greatest suspicion of this strange
looking character.

They continued to eye Barney in silence, every now and then casting
apprehensive glances beyond him, as though expecting others of his
kind to appear in the trail at his back. And that is precisely what
they did fear, for the sword at Barney's side had convinced them
that he must be an officer of the army, and they looked to see his
command following in his wake.

The young man saluted them pleasantly, asking the direction to the
Old Forest. They thought it strange that a soldier of Lutha should
not know his own way about his native land, and so judged that his
question was but a blind to deceive them.

"Why do you not ask your own men the way?" parried one of the
fellows.

"I have no men, I am alone," replied Barney. "I am a stranger in