ng night. The sun would rise shortly after six.

Five minutes later sounds of trouble of a physical nature were heard
along the tunnel by which the chamber had been reached. There were
blows, grunts, and ejaculations of rage. Then they heard a voice they
knew:

"Donner! I make your face preak! Come py mine punch of fives. Oh, you
loaver!"

"Hans!" cried Jack. "How the Old Harry did he get here?"

"He'll soon be able to tell you himself," Frank said, "if he keeps on
coming."

Indeed, the German's voice came nearer every instant, nearer and more
emphatic. He was panting, too, and the sound of blows reached the ears
of the listening boys.

"Get in there!"

The words were spoken in English, but not by Hans.

"There's that gink who rounded us up back in Taku," exclaimed Jack. "He
seems to be winning all the tricks. I wonder how he got hold of Hans?"

"I thought Dutchy was back with the submarine," Frank replied. "How he
got to Tientsin is a mystery to me."

The next moment Hans' broad face, now red from anger and exertion,
appeared at the mouth of the tunnel, looking like a full moon, and then
his bulky figure was projected violently into the chamber. He scrambled
in on his knees, but arose instantly and swung his fists in the
direction of the tunnel, shouting imprecations on some out-of-sight
person.

There were numerous cuts and bruises on his face from which blood was
oozing, and his clothing was torn and dirty, as if it had been dragged
through the mud.

"Loaver! Loaver!" he shouted, still shaking his clenched fist at the
entrance. "Vait a liddle, yet! I eats dern alife!"

"I wish you would!" cried Jack.

"Give me a bite while you are at it," Sandy cut in.

Hans gazed around in bewilderment for a time, and then his face
brightened as he caught sight of Frank and Jack. It did not take the
lads long to arrive at a mutual understanding of the happenings of the
night.

Hans had been followed from the place where he had left the other boys
and captured. He did not know what had become of Ned and the others any
more than Frank and Jack did.

His story brought some relief to the others, for it was presumable that
their chums were now well on their way to Peking. Once there, the
imprisoned lads knew that every effort for their release would be made--
then the whole power of the United States government, through the
ambassador, would be exerted in their behalf.

"But what's the use of al