The Guns of Europe | Page 8

to hold us in Prague?"
"Nobody in particular. But there would be no pas senger trains during the mobilization."
The eyes of John and Mr. Anson opened wider.
"Mobilization. What mobilization?" asked the elder.
"For the war that Austria-Hungary is going to make on Servia. The various army corps of Bohemia will be mobilized first."
"A war!" exclaimed Mr. Anson, "and not a word about it beforehand! Why this is a thunderbolt!"
John was thoughtful. The agent had made an amazing statement. It was, in truth a thunderbolt, as Mr. Anson had said, and it came out of a perfectly clear sky. He suddenly remembered little things, meaning nothing at the time, but acquiring significance now, the curious actions of Captain von Boehlen, the extraordnary demonstration at the return of the Saxon king to his palace, and the warning words of the waiter. He felt anew their loss in not knowing the language of the country and he gave voice to it.
"If we'd been able to speak German we might have had some hint of this," he said.
"We'll learn German, and be ready for it the next time we come," said Mr. Anson. "Now, John, in view of what we've heard, it would be unwise to go to Prague. Have you anything else in mind?"
"Let's go straight to Vienna. It's a great capital, and it has so much railroad communication that we could certainly get out of it, when we want to do so. Besides, I'm bound to see the Danube."
"And your uncle, the Senator, is there. Well, we'll chance it and go to Vienna. Can we get a train straight through to that city?"
"One leaves in an hour and is due at nine tonight," replied the agent to whom he had addressed the ques tion.
They bought the tickets, and when the Vienna ex press left the station the two with their baggage were aboard it. John was by the window of their compartment, watching the beautiful country. He loved rivers and lakes and hills and mountains more than either ancient or modern cities, and as they sped along the valley of the Elbe, often at the very edge of the river, his mind and his eyes were content. His absorption in what was flitting by the window kept him for some time from noticing what was passing in the train. A low, but impatient exclamation from Mr. Anson first drew his attention.
"I never saw such crowding before in a European train," said he. "This compartment is marked for six, and already nine people have squeezed into it."
"That's so," said John, "and there are men sitting on their valises in the corridors. An enormously large proportion of them are officers, and I've noticed that great crowds are gathered at every station we pass. The Austrians seem to get a lot of excitement out of a war with a little country like Servia, in which the odds in their favor are at least twenty to one."
"The Austrians are a polite, agreeable, but volatile race," said Mr. Anson. "They are brave, but in war they are usually beaten. Napoleon made his early rep utation out of the Austrians. They are wait a min ute, John, and I will read you more about them from this excellent book on Austria that I bought in Dres den."
"Excuse me this time ; won't you, sir. We're coming to another station, and the crowd is bigger than ever. I want to see if they cheer us more than they did at the one a few miles back."
When they were beyond the town John turned his attention to the occupants of the compartment who had now increased to ten. They did not differ from ordinary travelers, but his attention was held longest by a young man, not much above his own age. He was handsome and blonde with a rme open face, and John put him down as a Viennese. He knew that the Viennese, although fellow Germans, were much unlike the Berliners, their souls being more akin to those of the French.
He could not remember at what station the young man had boarded the train, but it was evident that he was already weary, as his head rested heavily against the cushion and his eyelids drooped. "A good fellow, I'm sure," said John to himself. "I'd like to know him. il hope he's going on to Vienna with us."
They were well across the Austrian border now, and an officer came through the train, asking for pass ports. Luckily, John and Mr. Anson had provided themselves with such documents, not because they be lieved them of any value, but, as John said, they always ran true to form, and if any official paper were offered they meant to have their share of it. Now they found these documents, considered worthless hitherto, very useful.