“Fixed up?” questioned Hal.

“Sure.  You didn’t expect to go back to the Austrian side looking like that, did you?  They’d nab you in a minute.”

He rummaged among some things in a corner, and directly produced an extra suit of clothes.

“Climb into these,” he ordered.

Hal did as commanded and awaited further instructions.

Stubbs opened a little box, which gave forth a peculiar smell and had a queer blackish appearance.  Stubbs dipped his fingers in the box, and then passed them over Hal’s face.

“Lucky I had a little experience in the art of stagecraft,” he remarked as he continued the operation.

He stepped back and surveyed Hal critically.

“There,” he exclaimed.  “Your own mother wouldn’t know you.  You look all of ten years older.  Got your guns?”

Hal picked them up from where he had thrown them when he had changed clothes.

“All ready,” he said quietly.

“Wait till I fix myself up a little,” said Stubbs.  “You must remember I was within the Austrian lines not so long ago myself.  They may be looking for me, too.”

He again delved into the little box, and Hal, as he watched, was surprised at the change in the appearance of the man.  He, too, seemed to have aged greatly, and he bore slight resemblance to the old Stubbs.

“All ready to move now,” he said at last.

He led the way from his quarters, and perhaps a hundred yards away, indicated a pair of horses.

“Ours—­for the journey,” he said.

A moment later both were in the saddle and were riding toward the front.

“Now,” said Stubbs, “I’ll resume my little talk.”

“One minute,” broke in Hal.  “How do you figure we are going to be allowed the freedom of the Austrian camp?  What’ll they do with us when we get there?”

“True,” said Stubbs.  He reached in his pocket and produced two papers, one of which he passed to Hal.  “This may help a little,” he explained.

Hal looked at the paper.  He found it was made out in the name of John Lawrence and that it purported to be an identification of John Lawrence as an accredited correspondent of the New York Gazette.

“I’ve got two or three more back there,” said Stubbs, waving an arm in the general direction of his quarters.  “They have often come in handy.”

“I see,” said Hal.  “Then these papers are what you are figuring on to gain us the freedom of the Austrian lines.”

“Freedom to a certain extent, yes,” replied Stubbs.  “Now for the other part of my plan.  To be perfectly frank, you know just as much about it as I do.  I have no plan beside getting in the Austrian lines.  Events must shape themselves after that.”

“But do you suppose these papers will satisfy the Austrian commander?”

“They will after I have talked to him for five minutes.”

“I hope so,” said Hal.