accomplished."

"Yes," Frank observed, "they wanted us to get out of Taku and break down
on the road to Tientsin. They would have us at their mercy out there--
or they figured it out that way."

"The work on the machines must have been done sometime during the day--
or last night," Ned replied. "Possibly while we were dozing."

"I don't believe it!" Jimmie insisted. "I've had me eyes open every
minute to-day."

"Well," Ned went on, laughing, "we had a high wind yesterday, didn't we?
A wind that tumbled the dust of the streets in upon us? Well," pointing
to a portion of his machine frame which he had been careful not to
touch, "here is some of the dust which fell upon the motorcycle then.
The person who did the job brushed a lot of the dust away, so, you see,
he must have worked since the dust fell."

"Did he brush it all away?" asked Jimmie.

"No," Ned replied, pointing, "here is a brace which he touched with his
hands but did not wipe off. In a short time I'll tell you just what
sort of a chap it was that did the trick."

The boy got his camera out of the suitcase and took a picture of the
spot on the machine frame where the print of human fingers showed. The
motorcycle owned by, or in charge of, Jimmie also showed a similar mark,
and this, too, was photographed.