"What would you have done had you caught them?" asked Ursula. "I’m sure I don’t know; only I’d have pointed them out to that house detective, for one thing." "Could you identify any of them if you saw them again?" asked Henry. "I’d know that big brute of a German by his back, in a million, but I’m not sure of the others,--yes, I believe I could tell the Englishman too." "I should know him if I ever saw him again," said Ursula. "I never should forget that peculiar suit of clothes he wore, nor----" Both the boys broke into a shout of laughter at this remark and Dick said: "That’s like a woman; noticing the dress first of all." "Oh, you need not laugh, Dickie dear; I do not doubt that he has other clothes, but the chief thing I should recognize him by was a peculiar patch of white hair on the right side of his head behind his ear, and also half the middle finger of his left hand was missing." "We apologize most humbly for our premature expression of opinion regarding your powers of observation," said Dick, bowing low to Ursula with mock deference, "but now the question is,--what shall we do with this information we have acquired?" "Here is Father; let us ask him," and Ursula ran to greet Mr. Comstock who at that moment approached them. After hearing of the episode, Mr. Comstock advised Dick to write out all the details as he and Ursula remembered them, and he, Mr. Comstock, would see that the report was placed in proper hands. "I believe you have discovered a very pretty plot, which would seriously damage us if carried to an ultimate conclusion," said Dick’s father. "We all know that Germany is expanding her trade lines enormously and making greater strides in systematic foreign commercialism than any other nation, but I can hardly conceive she would dare to finance such a risky venture with the canal right-of-way as her only payment." "Would Uncle Sam permit Germany or any other country to build a canal across Nicaragua now that the Panama Canal is almost completed?" asked Henry. "I doubt it so much that I feel perfectly safe in saying, most emphatically,--No!" "The United States would never allow any country to acquire territory in the Western Hemisphere--it would be contrary to the provisions of the Monroe Doctrine," said Dick. He leaned over and picked his campaign hat from the floor, then pointing to the small metal object thereon, he continued: "This little insignia of the marines tells its own story; this is the Western Hemisphere; across it the anchor and above the eagle with spreading wings, holding a ribbon on which is inscribed the motto of our Corps. It is our part to look out for these little countries, and according to history the marines have been doing it mighty effectually since the United States became a nation. And I guess we can keep up the good work." "With the able assistance of one Drummer Richard Comstock, U.S.M.C.!" slyly interposed Ursula, and Dick joined in the laughter which followed her remark.