Nikka's plan was simple enough.  
"When I was a boy and traveled with the tribe," he said, "and we wished to cross a frontier without being bothered by the Customs officers or the Royal foresters, we divided into two parties and struck off for our destination by two different routes."
 
Hugh nodded.
 
"I see. You split the scent."
 
"Exactly. Our trailers are experts, as I told you chaps they would be. If you will take my advice, you will adopt Gypsy tactics against them. Confuse them, string out their pursuit—and then, perhaps, we can baffle them."
 
"I think you're right," answered Hugh. "What do you say, Jack?"
 
"Suits me," I agreed. "Nikka obviously knows more about this kind of game than we do."
 
"I've had experience," replied Nikka simply. "Besides, it's in my blood. Ever since we embarked on this expedition I have felt the old Gypsy strain in me clamoring for the open road. Toutou's gang are using Gypsies. Very well, let us use Gypsies."
 
"But how can we?" interrupted Hugh.
 
"My name still means something to my people," said Nikka with that mediæval sang-froid which had amazed me once before. "My father's tribe will fight for me. But in the first place, this is what I suggest. Instead of sailing for Constantinople by the Messageries Maritime from Marseilles, let us take the train to Brindisi. Our trailers will expect us either to sail on the Messageries packet or else go by rail to Belgrade and connect with the Orient Express for Constantinople.
 
"By going to Brindisi we shall surprise them, and perhaps disarrange their plans. Mind you, I don't expect to throw them off; but they will be uncertain. At Brindisi we can connect with a boat for Piræus. When we board that boat they will begin to believe that they understand our plans, because at Piræus one finds frequent sailings for Constantinople. And we shall book passage from Piræus for Constantinople, as they expect. But after we have gone aboard with our baggage, Jack and I will leave the boat by stealth."
 
"How are you going to manage all that?" I interrupted.
 
"You can always bribe a steward," returned Nikka. "It will be for Hugh and Watkins to keep the enemy's attentions occupied. They can engage in conversations with us through the door of our stateroom, and that sort of thing."
 
"But what then?" demanded Hugh. "You divide forces. That makes each party half as strong as we are now."
 
"There'll be no harm in that," Nikka reassured him. "Our shadows will soon find out that Jack and I are not on the Constantinople boat, and they won't venture to touch you and Watkins until they have located us—which I assure you they won't be able to do."
 
"Why not?"
 
"Jack and I are going to take another boat for Salonika, and from Salonika we shall go by train to Seres in the eastern tip of Greek Macedonia. At Seres—and I don't expect them to be able to trail us there—Jack and I will disappear. We shall cease to exist. There will be two additional members in the band of Wasso Mikali, my mother's brother, and that band will be traveling to Constantinople with horses from the Dobrudja to trade with officers of the Allied detachments in the city."
 
"And Watty and I?" questioned Hugh.
 
"You go to the Pera Palace Hotel. Meet this Miss King and her father, but don't let anybody suspect that you expected to meet them. Remember, you will be watched all the time. Your rooms and your baggage will be searched. I think they will investigate the Kings, too. Yes, that is likely. You must have Miss King hide the copy of the Instructions you sent her. Not in her trunks—ah, I have it! Let her place it in an envelope, addressed to herself, Poste restante. She can go to the Post Office and collect it whenever we need it.
 
"You and Watkins will not be in any danger. Toutou's people will be too busy trying to find Jack and me. They will be suspecting that you are simply bait to distract their attention—which will be quite correct. But you must be careful not to venture around the city without plenty of company. Take an Allied officer with you whenever you can. You might use the daylight hours to find the site of the Bucoleon."
 
"Professor King can help them there," I interrupted. "He knows old Constantinople quite well."
 
"Excellent," applauded Nikka. "But remember, Hugh, I said 'daylight hours.' Don't venture around indiscriminately, and don't go anywhere, even in the daylight, without several other people. The larger your party, the safer you will be against accidents—and it is an accident, rather than a deliberate attack, you will have to guard against."
 
"But how are we going to get in touch with you?" asked Hugh.
 
"Leave that to us," replied Nikka, with his quiet grin. "Make it a custom to lounge in front of the Pera Palace every morning after breakfast for half an hour; and keep a watch out for Gypsies. You'll be seeing them all the time, of course, but don't let on that you're interested in them. Some morning two especially disreputable fellows will come by, and one of them will contrive to get a word with you. Follow them."
 
"That's a corking plan," Hugh approved warmly. "Well, lads, we'll be in Marseilles early in the morning. Shall we nap a bit?"
 
If we were followed in Marseilles, we didn't know it. We only left the railroad station to get breakfast and dispatch a telegram from Nikka to his uncle—or, rather, to an address in Seres which acted as a clearing-house for the operations of this particular Gypsy band. Then we took the train for Milan, and stopped off over-night to secure some sleep. The Italian railways were never very comfortable, and the War did not improve them.
 
We figured, too, that by stopping at Milan we might additionally confuse our shadows, as the city was a natural point of departure for Belgrade. But the first person I saw in the Southern Express restaurant-car was Hélène de Cespedes. She had discarded her black dress for a modish costume with furs, and sat by herself in dignified seclusion, looking at once smartly aristocratic and innocently lovely. She greeted me with a smile, and crooked her finger.
 
"Don't you 'ave nothing to do with 'er, Mister Jack," breathed Watkins explosively from the rear of our group. "That's 'er!"
 
"Is that the pretty lady?" whispered Hugh. "My word, Watty, I'll forgive you! Jack, you hound, introduce us. She looks better than she did the other night!"
 
I looked at Nikka.
 
"It's a good plan to know your enemies," he said. "They already know us. It can't do any harm for us to know them."
 
Hélène gave us a charming smile.
 
"I'm delighted to meet you boys," she said. "And dear old Watkins! We're quite friends, aren't we, Watkins?"
 
Watkins mumbled something that I fear was scarcely courteous.
 
"You can introduce me as the Countess de Cespedes, if you like, Mr. Nash," she continued. "I wonder if you knew Cespedes, Mr. Zaranko? He was a rotten old duffer, but he took me off the stage."
 
"I've heard of him," said Nikka, smiling. "Didn't he leave you anything to keep you going?"
 
She shrugged her shoulders.
 
"Other girls had the pickings before I met him. There was nothing left for me but the name."
 
"Is that the only one you use?" asked Hugh.
 
"Oh, come, now," she remonstrated. "There's a flag of truce up. Really, though, if you mention our opposition, I ought to compliment you on your work so far. I believe you might elude any mob but ours."
 
"We'll leave the decision on that point to the future," smiled Nikka. "By the way, how did you come to get into this game?"
 
She shrugged her shoulders again. She was an odd mixture of Latin grace and American ease.
 
"It's the sort of thing I do best. My folks were Wops of some kind. I was born in New York. I went with crooks after I left school. Then I joined the Follies, and a broke............