"No. At the tramp who won't wash his face, who has a gentleman's underclothes and who is so anxious to work for us!"
"Well, I see him. But—"
"Haven't you ever seen those sharp eyes before?"
"You don't mean—?"
"I do. If that isn't Bob Russell, the Comet reporter, I'm a goat."
CHAPTER XII
NED TO BOB RUSSELL'S RESCUE
It was a time for quick and fast thinking, and Ned and Alan did it. Alan's instant suggestion that they denounce the disguised tramp was almost as quickly voted down.
"So long as we didn't know who he was he had the advantage of us. Now that we know—" and neither of them now doubted the fact for an instant. "We have the advantage of him," argued Ned. "Let's turn that knowledge to profit. We can easily guess what he is trying to do. Major Honeywell's message says our real object is not known. This reporter has learned something, and I suspect he could have found quite a lot from the train crew. On that he has written a good enough story to attract attention. That shows he is no fool. And he wouldn't come out here unless he had been sent. Who would send him? Why, his paper, of course, to discover our real mission."