“You bet he is,” was the reply.

“I’ll come here in the morning,” the visitor said, looking at his watch, “and go out with you.  The chances are that we’ll have to make a quick run.  Machines in good order?” with a glance at the motorcycles lying against the wall.

“We haven’t as yet looked them over carefully,” Ned lied again, “but presume they are in good shape.  As a matter of fact,” he continued, hardly able to suppress a smile as Jimmie looked reprovingly at him, “as a matter of fact, we know little about the machines.  This is new business for us.”

Lieutenant Rae bowed himself out of the door, and the boys gathered in an inner room to discuss the situation.

“We may as well face the truth,” Ned said, calmly.  “The man who was to meet us here has fallen into the hands of our enemies.  We are alone in China without instructions and surrounded by foes.  Now, what shall we do?  We may be able to reach the water front and get off to one of the British ships in sight.”

“And go back?” demanded Jimmie.  “Not for me!  I’m goin’ to stay an’ see this thing out.”

“That’s me!” Frank said, and Jack echoed his words.

“Well, then,” Ned went on, with a smile of satisfaction at the attitude of the lads, “if we are going on, we’ve got to get to Peking without delay.  I’ll tell you what I think.  The conspirators are aware that we are trying to run them down.  If they can stop us before we fully identify them, their part in the plot against Uncle Sam will never be known.”  Rest assured, then, that they will stop us if they can.”

“Then it’s us for the road to-night!” said Jimmie.  “That is fine.”

In referring to conspirators, Ned indicated the men who had been involved in a plot to get the United States into trouble with a foreign government over a shipment of gold to China.  This shipment had gone to the bottom of the Pacific.

It had been claimed that the gold shipment, which was marked for the Chinese government, had really been intended for the revolutionary party, now becoming very strong.  It was now insisted that the revolutionists had been posted as to the shipment, and that it was on the books for them to seize it the moment it left the protection of the American flag.

These claims having been made, and believed, in the state department of a foreign government, none too friendly to the government of the United States.  A ship had been sent out to watch the transfer of the gold.  At least, that was what had been claimed, but this ship, so sent out, had, by an “accident,” rammed and sunk the treasure boat.  If the Chinese government did not get the gold, neither did the leaders of the revolutionary party.

It had been claimed at Washington that the whole thing was a plot to discredit the United States government in the eyes of the nations of Europe, and Ned Nestor and his chums had been sent out to search the wreck for papers which would disprove the statements made.  The papers had been secured.