“Well,” Frank said, “here’s hoping that the man we want will come within reach again!”

After breakfast the boys headed for the American consulate, where they found the machines which had been stolen.

“That was quick work,” Ned congratulated.  “How did you do it?”

The consul laughed.

“Why,” he replied, “you might as well try to bide a fifty story building in China as one of those machines!  The natives believe the devil is in them!”

“I’ve known Americans to express the same opinion,” laughed Frank.

While they talked with the consul a message was brought him from the telegraph office.  It read: 

“Report progress.”

Ned laughed.

“Nothing to report but disaster,” he said.

“Well,” the consul replied, “we expected something of the kind.  You have gained the very point we expected you to gain.  You know exactly who is at the head of this mess.  Thinking he had you where you would never get away, he talked too much.”

“I think I should know him in any disguise,” Ned said.  “I should know him anywhere, and under any circumstances.  Do you think he would have kept faith with me if I had given up the documents and promised never to implicate either his country or himself in the trouble?”

“Certainly not.  The fact that he revealed himself to you shows that he meant to have you murdered there.  Only for the marines breaking in just as they did, it would have been all off with you, my boy.”

“He must be a treacherous old chap!” Ned commented.

“His life and everything he loves is at stake.”

“Then he should have kept out of the mess!  Why should he want to get us into a war?”

“My boy,” replied the consul, “we are sure to have a war with some great European nation before many years.”

“Because the people are getting too thick over here.  Because they are going to America in droves.  Because the governments of Europe desire to retain control of their people after they leave the confines of their own countries.  They want English, German, Russian, Italian, French colonies held under their hand instead of a mass of their subjects doing reverence to a foreign flag.”

“And they will fight for that?”

“Of course.  The only way we can keep out of a great and disastrous war is to abandon the Philippines, throw our island possessions to the dogs, and tumble the Monroe doctrine into the sea.  Then these foreign nations can buy, steal, or conquer all South and Central America.  We don’t want the land there, and we can’t afford to fight for the dagoes who live there.”

“There is too much jingo in our country to ever do what you suggest,” Ned suggested.

“I’m afraid you are right,” the consul replied.  “But now to business.  Get your machines here and mount them!  You are to leave for Peking to-night.”

“And I’ll not come back until I reach the town!” declared the boy.