st him. He did not believe
that Lieutenant Gordon had sent for the boys. He did not make answer to
the question asked concerning the lieutenant, and it was asked again, in
this way:

"Have you known Lieutenant Gordon long?"

"A very short time," was the reply.

"You were with him in Mexico?"

"I met him in Mexico. I did not go there with him, nor did I travel in his
company, except on the way out."

"Do you think he is entirely loyal to the government?" was the next
question.

"I think he is," was the short reply.

"I am glad to hear you say that," Colonel Sharrow continued. "I should be
sorry to change the good opinion I have formed of Lieutenant Gordon."

"It seems to me," Frank said, indignantly, "that you are inviting an
adverse opinion concerning him."

"Not at all," was the pleasant reply. "It was my purpose, in making the
remark I did, to test your loyalty to my very good friend."

There was a short silence in the room, during which Frank could hear his
friends moving about excitedly in the adjoining apartment. If they were
conversing, they were doing so in whispers, as no words could be heard.

"Lieutenant Gordon," the Colonel said, "is very much devoted to the
service, and is especially interested in the investigation upon which he
is now engaged. By the way, he seems to have a very able assistant in the
person of Ned Nestor."

"Ned can help some," Frank replied, delighted at this appreciation of his
chum.

Colonel Sharrow did not seem to be a bad fellow, after all.

"I suppose Ned will be here with the lieutenant?" Frank asked, then.

The Colonel hesitated, smiling more pleasantly than ever.

"To tell you the truth," he said, "the messenger did not tell you the
exact truth. Ned is not with the lieutenant."

"Then this is a trap," exclaimed Frank, rising to his feet.

The Colonel laughed heartily.

"You are an impetuous young fellow," he said.

"You will be telling me next," the boy said, "that we are not to meet the
lieutenant here."

"You are not to meet him here," was the calm reply.

Frank moved toward the door.

"Then I'll be going," he said.

"In a moment," said the Colonel, stepping forward. "Wait until you hear
what I say, and then you may pursue whatever course seems good to you. You
were in deadly danger, out there in the cottage, and we thought best to
get you away. We knew, too, that you were too loyal to leave the place in
defiance of orders, and so we used this ruse