b chamber."

"The bomb chamber," repeated the lieutenant. "What have you youngsters
been up to? Where did you find a bomb room?"

"Back here in the cellar of a ruined temple," Jimmie started to explain,
but the lieutenant stopped him.

"Suppose we begin at the beginning," he suggested.

"That is the beginning," Ned replied, "the beginning of the story after we
left the cottage in the night."

Then Ned related the story of the finding of the ruined temple and what
had taken place there.

"But how did you boys get to the temple?" asked the lieutenant, then. "The
last I heard of you one of the plotters had you in tow, and Jack was
running off after you in the cook's clothing. Where did you boys connect
with each other?"

"Hold on!" Jack broke in. "Where did the cook connect with you? I presume
he is the boy that brought you here?"

"Sure," said the cook. "I had no intention of remaining here. I knew about
what would happen to you boys, and so started on a run for a 'phone, the
idea being to reach the lieutenant. I was mistaken for Jack, and held up
by a man who must have been left to spy about the cottage, but I got a
chance to hand him one and got to a 'phone. Since then the lieutenant has
melted a thousand miles of wire making inquiries for you."

"I'm glad we all got out before the lieutenant got to us," Jimmie cut in.
"I guess this bunch of Boy Scouts don't need any United States army to pry
us out of our troubles. We almost got here first," he added, with a
provoking grin.

"When you get done congratulating yourselves," laughed the lieutenant,
"perhaps you will tell me how you boys got to the ruined temple."

"I cannot tell a lie," cried Jack, "I did it. While I was chasing myself
along through the dust kicked up by the choo-choo car the boys rolled away
in, I came upon a youth who held me up in the middle of the road and asked
how I'd like to continue my run against time in an airship. He was a
cheeky looking chap, and I felt like giving him a poke in the breather,
when he grinned and gave me the Boy Scout high sign."

"You never found a Boy Scout out here in the jungle?" exclaimed Gordon.

"You bet I did," Jack continued. "If you don't believe it, go back there
to the cookerie. He's filling up on the beans I was expecting to get
myself. Call him my dear Gastong, and he'll come."

"Cripes!" cried Jimmie, and he was away in a second, attacking the great
dish of pork and beans which stood on the table i