“Of course.”

“Well, suppose he is now here trying to get something in exchange for the gold which lies at the bottom of the Pacific?”

“He naturally would be doing business, with the revolutionary party,” Frank exclaimed.  “What a trick that was!”

“I haven’t got it through my head yet,” Jack said.  “I don’t know any more about the plot than a robin.”

“Look here,” Frank said, in a superior tone, “there are a lot of Chinese in the United States who want to assist the revolutionary party.  Got that?”

“You know it!”

“These men arrange with the Chinese government to send over a cargo of gold.”

“That’s easy.  What were they to get for the gold?”

“I don’t know,” Frank answered.  “But they arranged to send the gold right out of the subtreasury at San Francisco—­or was it New York?—­to the Chinese government.”

“All right,” laughed Jack.  “I see daylight.”

“Then they notify the rebels-to-be that the gold will be shipped on such a vessel at such a time.”

“Warmer!” grinned Jimmie.

“And the rebels undertake to have a ship ready to snatch off the gold when the right time comes.  So the Chinese government will have to pay for the yellow stuff and the rebels will have the good of it.”

“Great scheme!”

“Yes, well, some other nation gets wise to what is going on, and sets out to burst up the combination.”

“Naturally.”

“So this foreign nation sends out a ship to ram the vessel carrying the gold.”

“Oh!  I got that long ago!”

“And the vessel is rammed and the gold goes to the bottom.  Then this other government, thinking to kill two birds at one shot, gives it out, in certain diplomatic circles, that Uncle Sam shipped that gold directly to the Chinese government from the subtreasury, with the full knowledge that the rebels were to get it.”

“Yes, I’ve heard about that.”

“So Uncle Sam sends Ned over here to dig up that gold and see if the shippers didn’t put documents in the bags or boxes which would prove out the whole transaction.”

“An’ Ned found the documents!” cried Jimmie.  “Good old Ned!”

“Yes, he found the documents which prove that the United States had nothing to do with the matter, but which do not show who started the slander.

“And then Ned is sent out to track the statesman who had been doing business with the rebels down to his hiding place.  It is thought that his nation is the one that tried to mix Uncle Sam in the matter.”

“But why should this man be doing business with the rebels?” asked Jack.

“That is what we don’t know,” was the reply.  “Still, we know that he is allied with the rebels.  We met him at Taku.  Ned met him at the ruined temple.  He may be treacherously in the company of the men who lead the revolutionary party, but he is there.”