Billy and Henri did a lot of thinking as they crossed the parade ground—there must be something brewing, or Roque would not have been so impatient as to invade the parade ground at the time he did.
Roque conducted the boys into Lieutenant Hume's private office at headquarters, closed and locked the door behind them.
Removing his spectacles, and throwing his slouch hat among the maps that littered a big table in the center of the room, the secret agent at the same time changed his form of address—the oily manner was succeeded by abrupt and stern speech, which showed the real man of brain and unlimited authority.
The secret agent had seated himself, without invitation to the boys to do likewise. They stood, facing the real Roque they knew by former experience.
"Where is Ardelle?"
Roque put the question like a pistol shot, and fiercely eyed the youngsters before him.
The point-blank query failed to reach the mark intended.
Billy looked at Henri and Henri looked at Billy, and then they both looked at Roque with never even a quiver of an eyelash. They had not comprehended what was behind the dreaded agent's snapshot at their nerves. The truth of the matter was, they did not know anybody by the name of "Ardelle."
So Billy, with a bold front, remarked: "You can't prove it by us, sir. Mr. Ardelle is not in our list of friends."