ragged me out of bed about midnight and informed me that other Boy
Scouts were in trouble at the telegraph office. I knew that Ned was
expected here, and so lost no time in getting down. That's all. The
marines did the rest."

"Save for that beautiful bluff of yours!" laughed Ned. "But how in the
Dickens did Hans ever get to you? How did he know where to go? How did
he get to Tientsin, anyway?"

"Give it up!" smiled the consul. "You might as well ask me who got the
marines out just in the nick of time."

"Jimmie did that, of course," replied Ned. "I think I know all about it
now," he added. "We saw Hans in a room opening on the court. The
little fellow burglarized the window and found Hans. I don't know how
Hans got there, but Jimmie found him, anyway. Then the kid told his
story and Hans went to the consul and Jimmie went after the flying
squadron. I have a notion that this is the way it came about."

In this supposition Ned was exactly right, for Jimmie had found Hans in
the room off the court and the two had planned their movements just as
Ned explained. The only mystery was as to how Hans got to the Tientsin
house and the room where he was found.

"We'll learn all about that in time," Ned added. "Now we must be off.
By the way, I wonder where Jack and Frank are? I haven't seen them
since I left the camp. In the rush of events I quite forgot to ask for
them."

"Just wait until I talk with one of the boys out here," the Captain
said. "Probably Jimmie is already telling them of his adventures."

But when the door was opened and Jimmie questioned he opened his eyes
wide in wonder. The Captain drew him into the private room.

"Say," the boy said, excitement in voice and manner, "didn't you leave
Frank and Jack at the camp when you left?"

"Why, I left when you did," was the reply. "They were there then."

Jimmie sprang to the door and beckoned the second in command into the
room. By this time both Ned and the consul were on their feet.

"Where did you leave Frank and Jack?" asked Ned, as the officer entered
the apartment.

"They left us," replied the officer, with hesitation. "We made our beds
of blankets and tumbled in, leaving one man on guard. When I turned in
the boys were in their bunks. When Jimmie awoke us, they were nowhere
to be seen. They probably sneaked off to have a look at Tientsin by
night--and a beautiful time they will have."

"Didn't you see them when you went back?