“You just wait a minute!” exclaimed Ben. “I want to know how that Englishman got hold of that coat!”
The next moment the boys’ amazement changed to actual unbelief in the accuracy of their vision. DuBois drew from the bag a false beard, and a crumpled white dickey topped by a wing collar and a sporty red tie.
“Say!” Ben exclaimed. “You’ve got to tell us where you got that bag! We want to know where that coat, those whiskers, and that dickey came from!”
“That’s what I want to know meself!” exclaimed the Englishman.
“That’s your bag, isn’t it?” demanded Carl.
“It’s my bag, right enough, don’t you know, but I never saw these things before! Some one must have stuffed them in!”
“Come on in here and tell us where you got the bag, and who packed it, and how many hands it has passed through since you owned it,” suggested Ben, leading the way to Mr. Havens’ tent.
With the sporty coat, the beard, and dickey lying on the blanket at his side, Mr. Havens turned to Jimmie with a sly smile.
“Was it you,” he asked, “who told us just how the villains in the Kuro case disposed of the disguise, or was it Ben?”
“You just wait,” Jimmie exclaimed. “Let’s find out about this hand-bag before we reach any conclusions.”