This much Malcolm took in at a glance, as with levelled rifle he supported his captain.
"Surrender!" shouted Captain Nicholson sternly.
"Not so fast," replied a Prussian, speaking in English, and with hardly a trace of a foreign accent. "Let us discuss the situation."
"By all means," agreed Captain Nicholson, confident that he held the winning cards.
The Hun who had spoken was carefully noting the strength of the intruders. He had a particular object in gaining time.
"You are too premature, Herr Kapitan von Anzaken," he continued slowly. The boot is on the other leg. You are our prisoners. Nein --do not get excited--consider: you are but a handful. We are fourteen, all armed. In there"--he indicated a doorway on his left--"are fifty tons of explosives, so I would not have you throw a
