If he had been a hero in a book, to use Mr.Conne's phrase, these officials would doubtless have been assembled about him listening to his tale, but as it was he was left quite out of the conference until, near its end, he was summoned to tell of his capture of Major von Piffinhoeffer and asked if he thought he could identify a close relation of that high and mighty personage simply by seeing him pass as a total stranger.
Tom thought he might "by a special way," and explained his knowledge of breed marks and specie marks.

He added, in his stolid way, that he had another idea, too.

But they did not ask him what that was.

One of the party, a naval officer, expressed surprise that he had ridden all the way from Cantigny and asked him if it were not true that part of the road was made impassible by floods.

Tom answered that there were floods but that they were not impassible "if you knew how." The officer said he supposed Tom knew how, and Tom regarded this as a compliment.
Soon, to his relief, Mr.Conne took all the papers in the case and left the room, beckoning Tom to follow him.