"That's the fellow."
"There's one more question," Ned went on. "Are all the men you took from the ship with you?"
"Every one of my men is here," answered the officer, "but there was a fellow, a friend of yours, with us at first who is not with us now. Queer chap he was, too! German, I think, and a master at tangling up the United States language. He came on board the ship, and managed to get off with us when we left. In two days he disappeared."
"That was Hans!" cried Jack.
"Who's Hans?"
"A German Boy Scout we picked up on an island. A member of the Owl
Patrol, of Philadelphia, he said. We left him on the submarine."
"Well, he asked after you boys, and looked disappointed when we did not find you, owing to the misleading statements of that fraud, Rae. He left us without a word of explanation, and is probably looking for you. Did he know where you were going?"
"Yes," admitted Ned, "I told him we were going to Peking by way of
Tientsin. I should not have done that."
"Oh, it can do no harm, and may be for your benefit. If the lad was not killed by the Chinks, he is doubtless on his way to Peking."
"Then you think he knew there was something wrong because we did not meet you?" asked Ned.