air seems nice an' high here. Guess we wouldn't have to
push it up any to build fifty stories. Where you takin' us?" he went on.
"If I owned this shrubbery we're borin' through, I'd have it manicured."

"Where did you leave the _Manhattan_?" asked the other, without taking
the trouble to answer Jimmie's question.

"We didn't leave her," Jimmie lied, cheerfully arguing with himself that
it wasn't any of the other man's business where they had left the boat.
"She's left us, an' gone off on a cruise to the South; left us to reign
on this island. She'll be back in a couple of days, an' then you'll get
what's comin' to you."

"I'm glad you took over the government of the island," the other
laughed. "Only for your appearance here we should not have known about
the _Manhattan_ being in these waters. Now we can look her up. We have a
steamer here for that purpose."

"I guess I ought to have remained on board," Jimmie said, ruefully.

"It is a wonder that Nestor permitted you to leave the boat," observed
the other. "It is said of the lad that he makes few mistakes," he went
on, glancing from one boy to the other.

"So you know Ned, do you?" asked Jack. "Well, you know a good fellow. If
you stay about here you'll be likely to know more about him before
long."

"Oh, I mean to remain," was the cool reply. "Nestor is wanted at Manila
for disobeying orders, and I'll take him along with me when I go.
There's a steamer out here looking for him."

The boys knew that Ned had left Manila in defiance of the orders of
Major John Ross, but they did not believe that a steamer had been sent
out to arrest him. They knew that he had received his original orders
from Washington, and believed that when Ross communicated with the
authorities there he would be instructed to keep his hands off so far as
Ned was concerned.

The man was, of course, lying, doubtless in the hope of creating the
impression in the minds of the boys that he was still in the service of
the government, and there on official business. The boys had no fear of
their leader being taken back to Manila under arrest. They were more
concerned for his life if he fell into the hands of this traitor.

"You know a fat lot about it," Jack said, disdainfully. "What you know
about Ned's business won't swell your head any. Where's this steamer
you're talking about?"

"I suspect," replied the other, "that she is now circling the island in
order to pick up the _Manhattan_. Nestor