"Gee, but you're an artist, Jimmie!" cried Jack. "We'll get you a job as 'Tricko, The Handcuff King'! I want to say right now," the boy went on in mock seriousness, "there are very few people who can tie themselves up so completely and so quickly as this job has been done!"

"You win the argument!" decided Jimmie, ironically. "If I get my tutor where I can lay hands on him I'll show him a trick or two that wasn't in the first chapter. He's in for some instruction all right!"

"What happened, Jimmie?" asked Ned, carefully pa.s.sing his knife through the bonds that confined the other's hands and feet.

"Well, when I came slamming along into the warehouse I was only a few feet behind the milk maid!" began Jimmie. "I at once crept in on tiptoe, because I reasoned that he would be slugging along, making considerable noise. I didn't know that there were goods in here.

"I couldn't see him anywhere. From that I concluded that he had either stopped or had taken to tiptoeing, too. I had my 'gat' ready and started in. I felt along the bales and boxes a ways. Just as I heard you fellows come into the door something tripped me and down I went.

"Before I could say a word he had shoved that thing into my mouth, pulled a handkerchief out of my pocket, tied it around my face and then tied my hands together under my knees. Say," the lad continued earnestly, "that guy never got his knowledge out of a correspondence course! He's been there and helped skin 'em! He's smooth!"

"Where's your automatic?" asked Harry.

"I don't know," replied Jimmie. "Let's have the bug a minute. I'm sure I heard it fall, but I can't say whether Mackinder got it or not!"

"Mackinder?" questioned Ned. "How do you know it was he?"

"Because as he was tying my hands together I had a chance to feel of the back of his right hand. I could feel the scar as plainly as could be. It was the same scar I saw before he started to run and the same scar I saw when the 'U-13' package was pinched!"

"I'd like to take a poke at him just for luck!" declared Jack.

"I don't know about that," stated Jimmie. "I can't help but admire a fellow as capable as he is. He tied me up so quickly and cleverly and yet so effectively. I'd like to take lessons of him!"

"Here's your gun!" joyously announced Harry. "And here's the milkmaid's dress he shed in here after he trussed you up."

"Now, then," began Ned, as the party was again complete and ready for action, "let's get out of here and get our baggage."

"Let's get Mackinder first," proposed Jack.

"I vote 'No' on that question, Mr. Chairman!" declared Jimmie.

"Why?" questioned Jack, with surprise. "What's the matter?"

"Well, there are several matters!" declared Jimmie. "I don't feel that we'd gain anything by chasing him. The 'U-13' package is not in our possession and he knows it. Besides, he's a clever guy and we might get the worst of it if we step out of our way to go after him."

"I agree with Jimmie," announced Ned. "Let's get aboard the Lena Garlic and get started on our way as soon as possible."

"You mean Lena k.n.o.bloch!" corrected Harry.

"It's the same thing!" declared Ned. "k.n.o.bloch means garlic!"

"All right, then, let's get going!" agreed Jack.

The boys lost little time in proceeding to their hotel, where they went directly to their room. Here a scene of confusion awaited them. Their possessions lay scattered around in disorder.

"Well, Great Frozen Hot Boxes!" cried Jimmie. "What's this?"

"Mackinder and Norton again, I'll bet my head!" said Jack.

"Weren't satisfied with their first search," agreed Jimmie.

"Came back here and went through everything. Then I'll bet Mackinder grabbed that milk cart and dogs, slipped on an old lady's dress and chased down to the dock to see if he could stop us!" put in Jack. "When he found we were armed he just cut it and ran away!"

"Boys, we will do well to pack up and get aboard that vessel as quickly as possible!" declared Ned. "Through a mistake we're under suspicion, and it won't pay us to remain here another minute!"

Replacing their belongings in the bags with skill and despatch the lads were soon ready. They at once proceeded to the dock.

Tramping aboard they proceeded to the cabin at the after end of the vessel. Entering they discovered Captain von Kluck seated at the little table. Before him was a bottle and a gla.s.s.

"Well, Captain," began Ned, "we're here and ready to go!"

"So-o-o?" queried von Kluck. "Vh.e.l.l, if you're reatty to go, vhy go! But you don'd go on dis schip. Vhe don'd carry ba.s.sengers!"

CHAPTER VI

A DIFFICULT DEPARTURE

Astounded at the statement of the captain, whom they had begun to regard as a friend but whose present manner indicated anything but friendship, the boys glanced at each other in some degree of alarm.

"Just what do you mean by that, Captain?" inquired Ned. "I thought it was understood that we were to have pa.s.sage on your boat!"

"Vh.e.l.l, den I forgot dot vhe don'd carry ba.s.sengers!"

"And I suppose it took Mackinder to refresh your memory!" snapped Jimmie, stepping forward with an outward thrust of his chin.

At the mention of Mackinder's name the captain gave a quick start. His glance at Jimmie was one of uneasiness and alarm.

"Vot do you know about Mackinter?" he inquired.

"I know this," stated Jimmie, angrily. "He's a fake and if you know when you're well off you'll let go your lines right now!"

"Yes, Captain," added Ned, "we found Mackinder trying to detain us because he fancies we have done something wrong or because he thinks we have something he wants. Who he may be we don't know!"

"I know!" stated the captain, stoutly. "I know dot feller is a officer in der British army, und vhen he says shtay, den I shtay!"

"An officer in the British army!" gasped Jimmie.

"I think I see now why he wants that package!" declared Ned. "He thinks that we are bringing some instructions or something to the submarine named 'U-13' and he's trying to intercept the despatches!"

"Well, he's welcome to the 'U-13' package as far as we're concerned!"

maintained Jimmie. "What we want is to get home to the little old U. S.

A., and that right quick. So, Captain, we'll go now, if you please!"

"No!" decided the captain bluntly. "Vhe don'd go!"