atching our every movement, and Mr.
Chester and myself agreed to let them play their game a little longer in
order that they might be caught and punished."

"What about the mysterious Jap men you are talking about?" demanded Jack
Bosworth. "I am anxious to know how they tangled these three business men
up in the game."

"Is it true," Ned asked of Mr. Shaw, "that Gostel and Itto first proposed
delaying the work on the canal?"

"Yes; they first suggested it."

"They told you of emerald mines under there?"

"Certainly."

"But they never took you to see the mines?"

"No; we took their word for it."

"Well, they lied to you. There are no emerald deposits under the line of
the canal. Their purpose was to get you involved in a scheme to blow up
the dam, believing that you, by your influence, would be able to ward off
suspicion after the job had been accomplished."

"But why?"

"Because they are cranks. They believed they would be doing their Emperor
a great favor by destroying the canal. They were insane on the subject.
They believed that Japan could never become mistress of the Pacific with
the canal in operation and the fleets of the world passing through it.

"Well, they carried on the plotting, made their bombs, and fought us boys,
as you all know. Their plans were progressing satisfactorily, for they did
not know that Mr. Shaw, Mr. Chester, and Col. Van Ellis would have stopped
them at the risk of their own lives, had they been able to do so, until
the Japanese government got wind of what was on.

"Then these cranks were warned by the Japanese officials to stop. Instead
of doing so they abducted Lieutenant Gordon and advanced the date of the
crime one night. The abduction was cleverly planned and executed, but Mr.
Chester learned of it, and there was a row about it. But there was no
suspicion on the part of Mr. Chester that the job was set for last night,
I take it. Is that true?" he asked, turning to Mr. Chester.

"Yes, I was completely deceived, and only that you boys were on guard the
dam would have been blown up!"

"I overheard their plans in the stone house," Ned continued. "Mr. Chester
and Col. Van Ellis went there to call the whole thing off, but Gostel and
Itto lied to them. I heard Gaga admit to Itto that there were no emeralds
under the canal line. I found there another map of the dam, with marks
where the bombs were to be placed. Then, when I got back to Culebra and
found that Lieutenant Gordon