The Guns of Europe | Page 8

"Why not?"
"You'll run into a war,"
"What do you mean, Albrecht?"

But Albrecht was already on the way to the kitchen, and he was so long
in returning that John dismissed his words as merely the idle talk of a
waiter who wished to entertain Herr Simmering's American guests. But
when they went to an agency, according to their custom, to buy the
railway tickets to Prague they were informed that it would be better for
them not to go to the Czech capital. Both were astonished.
"Why shouldn't we go to Prague?" asked Mr. Anson with some
indignation. "I've never heard that the Czechs object to the presence of
Americans."
"They don't," replied the agent blandly. "You can go to Prague without
any trouble, but I don't think you could leave it for a long time."
"And why not. Who would wish 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