"Yes, we'll go with you," said Ned.

"No, you stay here," Jack insisted. "One of us won't be noticed. Three
would. Besides, that house is full of other tenants. Nothing much could
happen to me."

In spite of their further protests he walked rapidly, but cautiously,
down the alley-way. Noiselessly he entered the hallway and walked to the
door of a rear room, where he heard voices. But it was a laboring man
and his wife quarreling over something. Jack heard a door open on an
upper floor. Then came a voice that thrilled him. It was Jarrow's.

"Hullo, Judson, back again? Well, how did things go?"

Then Jack heard the door closed and locked.

"So, they are really here," he muttered. "What a piece of luck. But the
question is, have they got the code? If it is out of their hands it will
be well nigh impossible to recover it, for it is a serious matter to
charge an ambassador with wrong-doing."

Jack began to ascend the rickety stairs with great caution. They creaked
dismally under his tread. At a door on the second floor he caught the
sound of Judson's voice. With a beating heart he crept as close as he
dared and listened.

"The plans have all been changed," he heard Judson saying. "We are to
take the code to Crotona (the capital of the power represented by the
ambassador) ourselves. There's a steamer that leaves Baltimore for
Naples to-morrow. We are to take that and proceed from Naples to our
destination."

"What a bother," came in Donald's voice. "I don't see why the ambassador
didn't take them."

"He said it was too dangerous. He was being watched by the Secret
Service men."

"Well, it's just as dangerous for us, if it comes to that," grumbled
Jarrow.

"I've got another piece of news for you," said Judson. "As I was passing
the Willard to-night I saw Simms, and who do you think was with him?"

"I don't know, I'm sure."

"Those two brats who made trouble for us at Alexandria Bay. It was a
good thing I was disguised, for I passed close to them before I
recognized them."

"Confound it all," burst out Jarrow, "do you think they know we are
here?"

"Not a ghost of a chance of it," said Judson confidently; "anyhow, we've
picked a hiding place where no one would ever dream of looking for us."

"That's so. I'll be glad when we get out of the horrid hole," grumbled
Donald.

A footstep sounded behind Jack on the creaking boards. It startled him.
He had not heard a door open. But now he was confronted by a po