His eyes rolled round our party and I could see curiosity overcoming even his bragging. "Who did tell you?" he demanded. "If it is any satisfaction to you to know," replied Sir Francis, "your machinations were discovered and you were tracked down and caught by a girl." He turned to Jean and added, "An exceedingly clever, brave and patriotic girl." I am sorry to say our prisoner still further smirched his record. What he said was fortunately in German and the words at the beginning of his sentence were not the kind that Jean would know. Before he had finished it my uncle had struck him with the butt end of the torch on the mouth. "Hold your foul tongue!" he cried and then turned away and I could see a kind of shiver run over him. "God forgive me!" he murmured. "I never struck a man when he was down before!" And then he recovered himself a little and added, "But is a German a human being?" Meanwhile Jean was already bringing a bundle of rope from the corner under my cousin's direction, and in a few minutes his practised hands had knotted our prisoner up so securely that we were able to move aside from him and hold a hasty council of war. "Now for the rest of the gang!" said my uncle. "Do you suppose they've heard us and bolted?" "Do you mean the Scollays?" asked Jean. "Oh, I don't believe they knew!" "My dear young lady, it's very painful for you to think your tenants are playing such games, but they simply must have known!" "We can't afford to give them the benefit of the doubt," said Jack Whiteclett. "That's absolutely certain. I am afraid I must arrest them, Miss Rendall, and the sooner it's over the better." "Jack!" commanded our uncle, "this is a matter I think I could handle rather better than a hot-headed young man." (Commander Whiteclett, it may be mentioned, was reputed in the Navy to have a remarkably cool head.) "Dr. Rendall, perhaps you will be good enough to keep watch over our prisoner for a few minutes while we are gone. Roger, give the doctor your pistol. If we hear you fire, doctor, we'll be out in a few seconds. Jack and Roger, come along with me." Jack and I exchanged a look but said nothing. Our uncle still held the torch, and flashing it before him led the way out of the barn. We followed him, but my eyes I am afraid were over my shoulder. I saw Jean slip her own torch into the doctor's hand and then she ran after me. "May I come too!" she whispered. "Of course!" I said, "you're in command of the party--or ought to be!" and out we went together. The farm yard made rough walking, and there seemed every excuse for my taking her arm and none for her objecting; nor did she. "Who is this delightful, arbitrary old gentleman?" she asked in my ear. "You never introduced me!" "Our uncle," I murmured back. "Jack and I both have expectations so we've got to give him his head!"