"What does this mean?" he asked.
"Surprise party!" Jimmie cried.
"Who are these men?"
The Captain pointed to the six prisoners lined up against the wall of the room.
"Our friends from Taku, from the ruined temple, from Tientsin, from the farm house loaded with gunpowder, and from the tea house," laughed Ned. "Do you recognize the fellow with his disguise off? Jimmie gave him a haircut and shave just now."
"And you have captured them?"
"It doesn't look as if they had captured us," Jimmie broke in.
"But how, when, why?"
"All of that!" grinned Jimmie.
Ned spoke a few words to the officer in charge of the squad and in a moment the room was occupied only by the handcuffed prisoners, the four boys, and Captain Martin. The latter stood looking at Ned with a question in each eye.