't get
even a breath of air into his lungs to give him fighting strength.

Finding that the boy's struggles had ceased, the long-legged one eased
off on the noose. He bent Jack's arms behind him so that the wrists
crossed. Then, pulling another cord from one of his pockets, the
wretch tied the youngster's hands with a few deft movements. Oh, but
this rascal was an expert artist with ropes and cords.

Jack felt himself being prodded just over the pit of the stomach, and
his senses slowly wandered back to him under the disturbing handling.
He was lying on his back, when his eyes opened once more. His throat
felt sore, but he could breathe again.

Then the submarine boy discovered that his hands and feet were securely
lashed. Beyond that, he discovered Millard squatting on the floor,
close by, in Japanese fashion, for the foreign agent was sitting back
on his own crossed heels.

"Feel wholly comfortable?" mockingly inquired the foreign agent, when
he saw the boy's eyes open.

"Not especially, thank you," mumbled the boy, dryly.

Jack had discovered, by this time, that he was lying on a wooden floor,
very likely in the basement of the house. The room contained no
furniture, beyond an old table. Daylight was excluded by wooden
shutters fastened into place over the windows. On the table a single
candle burned in a candlestick.

"Why didn't you bring along with you, Benson," sneered the long fellow,
"the property of mine that you stole from me?"

It was plain, then, that the foreign agent remembered the submarine boy
well.

"Why are you playing this fool trick on me?" counter-questioned Captain
Jack. "You knew I didn't have the--the things with me. You could see
that."

"I put you to this inconvenience," replied the foreign agent, "because
I wanted to know a few things. In the first place, why are you bothering
with me, or with my plans?"

Jack remained silent.

"Won't talk, eh? Oh, well, then, perhaps we can find out a few things
without any very especial help from you."

Millard bent over, thrusting his hand into one after another of young
Benson's pockets. In so doing he brought to light the envelope in the
lad's inner coat pocket. Just an instant later, the wretch snatched
the folded sheet from the envelope, spread the paper open and held
it up to the light.

"Ho-ho!" sneered the rascal, "an order authorizing you to cause my
arrest? This disposes of your case, then, young Mr. Benson!"