"Oh, well," said Jack, "there is no use worrying about it. We'll have to take what comes and that's all there is about it. Now, I'm going to rest a bit. When they come in, wake me up."
He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes; and in the meantime Frank continued to turn events over in his mind.
Half an hour later Lord Hastings, the man who had led the party that captured the boys, a figure attired in the uniform of a colonel of infantry, and several others entered the room. The uniformed man Frank immediately took to be Colonel Masterson, and he was right. Frank nudged Jack and the latter opened his eyes. Then both boys got to their feet.
"So these are the German spies, eh?" said Colonel Masterson.
"That's not true," declared Frank hotly. "We are no more spies than you are."
"So?" said the colonel insinuatingly. "Then how does it happen you hold such friendly conversation with another man who is under suspicion?"
Frank's heart sank. So it had been a trap, after all.
"I can explain that, sir," said the boy, turning to Lord Hastings.
"I have no doubt of that," was the reply. "The question is, can you explain it satisfactorily?"
"Yes, sir, we can," interrupted Jack.