s in good repute as a racer in and about Manila, in spite of its blunt
bow and wide beam.

Frank pottered away at the machinery until he announced that it was like
taking candy away from the children to run it, and then the two retired
to the cabin to get rid of their wet garments.

"Ned and Jimmie are having a good soaking," Jack said, his ill humor all
gone, as he soused his wet underclothing in a tub of sea water. "I wish
they'd come home."

A dull thump, as of a canoe striking the motor boat, and a quick step on
the prow caused both boys to spring to their feet.

"There they come now!" Jack cried, glancing out into the slanting rain,
"and it's good and wet they are."

The boy was about to step forward and open the cabin door when Frank
caught him by the shoulder.

"Wait!" he said. "Look there!"

Jack followed the pointing finger with his eyes and saw half a dozen
Filipinos clambering into the cockpit, and also saw the muzzles of
American-built rifles covering the cabin door.

"Get your gun!" Jack whispered.

"We've got to do something besides shoot," Frank said. "They have the
drop on us. We should have been looking out for an attempt at surprise."

There was a moment's silence, and then a man enveloped from neck to
heels in a heavy raincoat and sweating tremendously in consequence,
advanced to the cabin door.

"Never mind the guns!" he said, through the glass. "My men have you
covered, and it would be a pity to shoot two likely boys!"

"What do you want?" demanded Frank.

"We want this boat," was the reply.

"Well, you've got it!" Jack said, angrily.

"Of course we have," was the reply. "We seem to be getting about
everything we want in this corner of the world! Where are the others?"

"Gone after a battleship!" declared Jack.

The man grinned and, opening the cabin door, stepped inside. He was
tall, rather slender, with clean-cut features and bright gray eyes. His
bearing was that of a gentleman, and Frank began to have an indefinable
idea that he had met him before somewhere, just where he could not
decide. The fellow evidently was an American, though his followers
seemed to be Chinese and Filipinos.

"So he's gone after a battleship, has he?" the intruder said, shutting
the cabin door behind him, after making sure that his men were standing
at attention with their guns. "Do they pick battleships off trees up on
the hill?"

"I don't see anything funny about it," Jack said, sourly. "Who do