e for at midnight? And do you believe they are responsible for
the disappearance of Lieutenant Rowe and his companions?"

"Here comes Tag," Ned said. "Suppose we wait and see what he says of the
experiences of the fanmen."

The Filipino had in a measure recovered his good humor and was very
respectful to the Captain. He addressed him instead of Ned when he
spoke.

"They say they were given drink after the fourth man arrived and went to
sleep."

"That accounts for the strange odor about the place!" cried the Captain.
"Now, what the dickens does it all mean?"

"Cripes!" broke in Jimmie. "I wish I had as many dollars as times I
don't know. Say, when we goin' to get a ride in the _Manhattan_? Me for
the rollin' deep whenever you get this thing doped out."

"It looks like we had work cut out for us here," Ned replied. "Now,
Captain," he went on, "it looks as if the late arrivals last night
drugged the servants and took the secret service men away by main
force."

"Main force!" roared the Captain. "Why didn't they shoot, or yell, or
make some sort of a row that would have brought help? I've got a lot of
old women here who could have stood off an attacking party!
Force--nothing! Lieutenant Rowe was in the deal. He wanted to disappear
with something he had in his possession, and he worked the abduction
dodge."

"You may be right," the boy replied, "still, that does not change the
fact that there were enough men about this hut last night to make just
such a capture--with the assistance of a clever man on the inside--a man
pretending to be friendly to the Lieutenant--say, for instance, the
fourth man, or--Tag."

"How do you know how many men there were about here?" asked the Captain.

"If you will go to the river bank a few rods south of the pier," was the
reply, "you will discover that a large canoe beached there last night.
You will see that it was drawn far up into the thicket, a task which
must have taxed the strength of at least eight men. Then, about the hut,
and especially under the windows which the visitor entered, there are
plenty of footprints."

"Footprints!" echoed the Captain. "My people don't wear footgear that
leaves prints!"

"There were at least three pair of European shoes in the group," Ned
went on, "Now, the next query is this: Why did the visitor enter by the
window? If you will notice the floor in there, below the two front
windows, you will see that the shades were drawn there last night, a