“Well, Mackinder,” stated Ned as the tension on their nerves began to relax with the increasing distance traveled, “we’re surely grateful to you for suggesting that we get away as you did!”
“My motive was largely a selfish one, I must confess,” returned Mackinder. “I wanted very badly to get away from that island.”
“How did they ever get hold of you, anyhow?” questioned Jack.
“I left Amsterdam the same evening you did. After the Lena Knobloch went past us as she did I knew there was little use trying to delay you. Therefore, my aide and myself left at once on a train for Rotterdam. There we found a fishing boat which we thought would answer our purpose. We induced the captain to take us aboard, intending to cross to England. After traveling some distance the storm overtook us. We were blown far out of our course. The vessel was badly battered. The crew left in a panic, leaving me on board. Just in time the German destroyer came along and took me off. That’s it in a nutshell.”
“Yes, and then when you discovered us in our little boat you went and told the captain of the destroyer a lot of nonsense, didn’t you?” questioned Jimmie in a somewhat aggressive manner. “Why did you do it?”
“I only told him that you had at one time a package that belonged to me. I wanted the package badly. I thought he would assist me.”
“That wasn’t a very nice way to go about it,” declared Jimmie with emphasis. “After searching our baggage twice, and after we had told you how the package was in our kits without our knowledge, also that it had been stolen away from our possession, why didn’t you believe us?”
“There is an old saying that all is fair in love and war!” replied Mackinder. “You know that my country and Germany are at war. As an officer in the British army, it is my duty to do everything possible to assist my country. I believe that package contains information that my country could use. That is my justification for my acts, and I hope you boys are fair-minded enough to hold no resentment.”
“I’m just fair-minded enough to be neutral,” declared Jimmie, “if I have to fight for the right to remain that way. I’m just a little sore at you for supposing that four boys who are citizens of a neutral country would be carrying information around for another country at war!”
“I’m sorry you feel that way,” said Mackinder. “I assure you there was nothing personal in my acts. I simply tried to do my best!”