“It’s the same!”
“That’s what I thought you’d say,” remarked Jerry, with a little nod of satisfaction. “But we might as well hike along. No use standing here talking over the mystery. Besides, the professor may not like it.”
“I thought you said it wasn’t the professor,” said Ned.
“No, I only said I had my doubts,” corrected Jerry. “I don’t really know what to think.”
“As you say, it’s a mystery,” conceded Bob. “But can’t we get to the bottom of it? Say, all sorts of things are happening on our homeward trip. Here we are delayed because of some mysterious explosion on board, there’s a mysterious prisoner in a mysterious cabin guarded by marines, and now we think we see in the same cabin the real professor. Say, it’s beyond me all right!”
“Yes, it’s queer,” admitted Jerry. “Let’s go off by ourselves and talk it over.”
“Good idea,” agreed Ned. “I guess we’ll have enough excitement doing that not to need other recreation.”
In as secluded a spot as the three Motor Boys could find on the crowded troopship, they talked over the incidents of the trip thus far.
“Then you are sure the cabin where we saw the professor—or at least the cabin where the door was shut so soon after we uttered his name—you’re sure that’s the same cabin where the marines were on guard, are you, Jerry?” asked Ned.
“Positive,” was the tall lad’s reply.