"You're a brave lad," was the Admiral's comment, "and I shall be glad to hear the end of the adventure. You and your companions must come out and dine with us as soon as your mission is ended." Donald thanked him for his kindness and hastened to the launch which was to take him back. Twenty minutes later he stood before Gen. Funston. "You seem to have been in the water," was the general's first words. "Yes, sir," laughed Donald. "I jumped from a wall north of town, leaving Lieut. Grimes on top of it." "What! Lieut. Grimes on top of a wall? How did he get there?" "He was kidnapped, sir! It was a case of mistaken identity!" "Mistaken identity! I don't understand!" "They took him for you, sir, because his beard is trimmed like yours." The general smiled grimly. "Think I shall have all my staff officers do the same," he commented. Then more seriously: "Can you lead us to the house?" "I'm not sure about the house; but I can take you to the stone wall from which I jumped. That ought to guide us to the house." "Right," said the general. He called another member of his staff and gave a few brief orders. In another ten minutes two launches loaded with regulars and armed with a rapid-fire gun in each, steamed swiftly up the harbor. "There's the wall!" exclaimed Donald a few minutes later, "and there's where I jumped," pointing to a spot near the abutment. The officer in command headed the boats for the shore. "It is not only a question of freeing Lieut. Grimes," said the officer, "but we also want to capture the conspirators. This is a much more serious matter than Gen. Funston is willing to admit." "Then if you will take my suggestion, sir," said Donald modestly, "I would let a few soldiers go over the wall as well as entering the front of the house." The officer looked up twenty feet. The wall was absolutely perpendicular and as smooth as the side of a house. "I'm afraid none of my men can scale it," he said. "Can't we throw a grapnel over it, sir?" "We might; but it would be a very slight hold." "If you can make it hold at all," laughed Donald, "I'm willing to make the effort. At best I can only fall back into the water." "True," declared the officer. "We'll try it." A grapnel was tied to a long line, such as is used in tying the launch to the shore, and after several vain attempts the grapnel caught in the top of the wall. Donald sprang forward and tested it with his weight and it held. Then, without another word, he braced his feet against the wall and in almost less time than it takes to write it, he was at the top. "Do you see any one?" asked the officer from below. "No, sir; but there is the sound of pacing footsteps on the walk that runs along the side of the house." "Good! Now make fast the grapnel and we will see if there are a dozen men here who can climb to the top."