The lads complied.
"Say," said Frank, "this is Lord Hastings' motorboat. He told us not to lose it. Tie it on behind and pull it along, will you?"
"We'll pull it along all right," replied their captor. "Now the best thing you fellows can do is to keep quiet."
The lads obeyed this gruff command, for they had nothing particular to talk about.
Half an hour later the motorboat docked at Gravesend and the boys were ordered to climb out, which they did, under the noses of their captors' weapons.
"Where to now?" asked Frank.
"Where I tell you," was the reply.
Jack was struck by a sudden thought.
"Will you tell me what time it is, sir?" he asked the leader of the party which surrounded them.
"As you ask in such a polite way, I shall do so," was the reply. "I wouldn't tell this other fellow anything. He's too smart." He produced his watch, and after a glance at it, said: "Five minutes to ten."