him my order and he glanced at it and said it was
forged; wasn't the general's signature and wasn't in proper form,
anyhow. When I started to go he wouldn't let me; said the affair was
suspicious and needed investigation. So he took me to a room full of
officers and they asked me a thousand fool questions. Said they had no
record of a Belgian named Maurie and had never heard of him before. I
couldn't figure the thing out, and they couldn't; so finally they let me
come back to the ship."

"Strange," mused Uncle John; "very strange!"

"I was so stupid," continued Carg, "that I never thought of Elbl being
at the bottom of the affair until I got back and found our launch
missing. Then I remembered that Elbl was to have been turned over to the
prison authorities to-morrow and like a flash I saw through the whole
thing."

"I'm blamed if _I_ do," declared Mr. Merrick.

The others likewise shook their heads.

"He got me out of the way, stole the launch, and is half way to Ostend
by this time."

"Alone? And wounded--still an invalid?"

"Doubtless Maurie is with him. The rascal can run an automobile; so I
suppose he can run a launch."

"What puzzles me," remarked Patsy, "is how Lieutenant Elbl ever got hold
of Maurie, and induced him to assist him, without our knowing anything
about it."

"I used to notice them talking together a good bit," said Jones.

"But Clarette has kept Maurie a prisoner. She wouldn't let him come back
to the ship."

"He was certainly at liberty to-night," answered Beth. "Isn't this
escape liable to be rather embarrassing to us, Uncle John?"

"I'm afraid so," was the reply. "We agreed to keep him safely until the
authorities demanded we give him up; and now, at the last minute, we've
allowed him to get away."

Anxiety was written on every countenance as they considered the serious
nature of this affair. Only Gys seemed composed and unworried.

"Is it too late to go in chase of the launch?" asked Ajo, breaking a
long pause. "They're headed for Ostend, without a doubt, and there's a
chance that they may run into a sand-bank in the dark, or break down, or
meet with some other accident to delay them."

"I believe it's worth our while, sir," answered Carg. "The launch we
have is the faster, and the trip will show our good faith, if nothing
more."

"Then make ready to start at once," said Ajo, "and I'll dress and go
along."

Carg hurried away to give orders and the boy ran to his stateroom.