y've come together again,
haven't they? I've heard Ned say that the only way to stop this thing is
to get a good grip on the man at the head of it. The thing now is to
find who that man is."

"I should say so, with the military men all mixed up in it!" Jimmie
said. "It seems to me that the head of it must be in Washington, in
Manila, or in Yokohama. I wish Ned was here."

"Tied up?" echoed Jack. "If he was, we'd never get out. Let me tell you
this, little man," he went on, the tan on his cheeks showing browner
than ever against the sudden paleness of his face, "let me tell you
this: These men are here in the guise of soldiers to put this treaty
through. These chiefs think they represent men high up in our
government. If they didn't think so they wouldn't listen.

"When it is all over, and war has been declared, and our title to the
islands has gone up in smoke, these traitors will go back to their posts
in the army. Now, this being the case, they won't want to see us around,
will they?"

"Hardly," was the reply.

Jimmie saw what his chum was coming to and opened his eyes wider than
ever.

"You mean," he added, "that when the ruction breaks out, or even before,
we'll be put out of the way?"

"Of course."

"Then I'm goin' to duck right now!" Jimmie said, moving toward the wall
of the tent. "I'm not goin' to stay here an' be bolo meat. If we can get
to the first thicket we stand a chance of gettin' to the _Manhattan_."

"That's all right, but it won't do," Jack said. "Don't you suppose these
gazabos heard the fuss the engine was makin'? Well, then! But we've got
to go somewheres, so come on. Me for a point opposite to the direction
of the sounds we heard."

There was a sudden commotion in the camp just then, and the boys reached
the first thicket.

CHAPTER XV.

SIGNAL LIGHTS IN THE CHINA SEA.

The boys reached the first thicket and quickly disappeared from the
sight of those in the camp. There they listened for an instant, but
heard nothing which sounded like pursuit. Then they dug into the jungle
and worked around toward the bay where they had left the _Manhattan_.

There came no alarm from the camp as they passed through the thickets,
using only their hands in fighting the creepers and snake-like vines. It
was afterwards learned that the arrival of a particularly powerful chief
had caused the commotion which had so assisted in the escape.

Luckily the attentions paid to the new arrival stretch