“Window into the basement,” he explained.  “It’s open.”

Jack wasted no time.  He dropped to his hands and knees and, pushing the window open, shoved his feet through.  Then he wriggled his body through the opening and dropped.

It was not a hard fall and he picked himself up unhurt.  He called softly to Frank and the latter was beside him a moment later.  Walking softly, Jack led the way up a little flight of stairs to a door which opened easily.  He stepped inside.

Frank followed and Jack closed the door.  It was perfectly dark.

But suddenly the darkness was lighted up.  The astonished lads gazed into the muzzles of a pair of automatics and a well-known voice cried: 

“Hands up!”

CHAPTER XXIV.

ANOTHER UNPLEASANT SURPRISE.

To say that the lads were astonished is putting it mildly.  There they were, so they believed, sneaking upon an unsuspecting victim and now they found themselves absolutely in that victim’s power, for it took but the first glance to assure them that the face that gazed so evilly and sardonically into theirs was the face of Davis.

Now Davis grinned at them.

“I was expecting you, gentlemen,” he said with biting sarcasm.  “I did not wish to seem discourteous, which is the reason I welcome you in person.  But, also, knowing your kind, I surmised that you would not announce yourselves at the front door, as would most British gentlemen; therefore I receive you here.  I assure you you are most welcome.”

All this time he kept each lad covered with an ugly-looking automatic.

As neither Frank nor Jack replied, Davis continued.

“I would just like to add that if you desire to get ahead of me it will be necessary to arise very early in the morning.  What kind of a spy do you think I am, anyway, not to know when I am being followed?  I assure you, gentlemen, you have misjudged me.  I was not born yesterday.”

Still neither lad replied.

“And now,” Davis went on, “I must ask you to be so kind as to precede me to the parlor, where I shall entertain you more comfortably.”

He emphasized this statement with a slight gesture with one of his revolvers and there was naught for the lads to do but obey.

Davis followed them closely, still covering them with his two revolvers.  In the parlor he motioned them to seats and took a chair across the room.

“Now,” he said, “I would be pleased to have you tell me how you escaped from our enemies, the British.”

“Well, I can see no harm in enlightening you,” said Jack.  “I would have supposed that, being so brilliant, you had guessed it by this time.  We are British officers and not German.”

“Would it surprise you,” queried Davis, “if I should tell you I had surmised as much?  And our good friend, Commander Bernstorff”—­and here Davis laughed—­“how is he?”