"And we'll start right away," Ned continued, "if you are ready, Captain.
We ought to be in Peking early in the morning."
"It is a bad road," the consul said, "and you'll find, echoes of the scrap you had here waiting for you along the way. In the language of the cablegram, keep together!"
When all were mounted there were still two vacant cycles—those the missing boys had ridden. Ned pointed to one and spoke to Hans:
"Can you ride?"
"Sure!"
"Then you may take one of the machines and come along with us."
Hans sprang onto one of the motorcycles just as he had observed the others do. Under the impetus of the leap the machine trundled along for a few feet and tipped over, landing Hans on his back with the rear wheel scraping acquaintance with his nose.
"Ouch!" he shouted. "Dake him off! He bites! Vot issit if I hand himone? Vot?"
While the others were laughing at the plight of the German, he made an effort to arise and the machine promptly slid down an incline and sparked and gyrated until Hans' hair fairly stood on end with fright.
"Catch heem!" he shouted. "Catch heem! He runs py the road avay!
Dunner! Vot a streets!"