r with interest. The
Irish lad returned the friendly glance with interest, and the two again
clasped hands.

"We didn't anticipate such a meeting," Ned said.

"You knew I had gone to the Philippines," Pat said, "but I had no idea
you would ever wander off here. Tell me about it."

The story was soon told, in condensed form, and then Ned asked:

"That was Lieutenant Rowe who was captured?"

"Sure! They got into our hut and geezled us good. I shall not be able to
straighten out my arms for a month."

"Your hands must have been free when you left those signs in the grass,"
said the patrol leader.

"They caught me doing it," said Pat, "and that is why I was tied up
tighter than the others."

"Well, you did a good job before they caught you," Jimmie said. "When
you goin' back to let the others loose?"

"Lieutenant Rowe is in great pain because of his wound," Pat replied,
"and we ought to do something for him soon."

"Where is the fourth man--the fellow who climbed in the window?" asked
Ned in a moment.

"Say!" Pat answered, "there was something strange about that! He came in
with new instructions--instructions which would have sent us off to
Manila again, and the Lieutenant wouldn't stand for them, and so--"

"They had a scrap?" asked Jimmie.

"Did the Lieutenant doubt the authenticity of the instructions?" asked
Ned.

"I think he did," was the reply, "and so did the messenger! Odd, eh?"

"But he must have been expecting the messenger," Ned went on, "for the
screen at the window where he entered was left unfastened for him."

"He was expecting some one," answered Pat, "but of course he did not
know who it would be. Anyway, he was not anticipating faked
instructions."

"But why was he so secret about letting the fellow in? Why wasn't the
door used when he came?"

"I don't know. The messenger the Lieutenant was expecting was to come
secretly and go secretly. That's all I know about it."

"He was to be sent by the government officers?"

"Of course."

"From what point?"

"Oh, I don't know," answered Pat. "It is all a muddle. I can't
understand how a man could follow us with instructions, anyway. We came
fast in the motor boat, and could not have been followed in a canoe. I
don't know where this messenger was to spring from, I'm sure. Anyhow,
the wrong one came, or the right one brought the wrong dispatches, and
Lieutenant Rowe wouldn't stand for it, and there was a conference, and
then the brown men