miserably.

"Not quite that bad," smiled Dave, "though God knows it has been bad
enough."

"Communism!" exclaimed the man springing up. "Communism will never do. It
drives men to dry-rot. Here we have had Communism at its very best, a
group of friends, each doing the best for the whole group at all times,
but we have not been happy. We have been of all men the most miserable.
Each one of us would give a year of this for one week spent in honest
competition for a livelihood with other men.

"Competition! Competition! I cannot tell how it is, but I know it to be a
truth now; honest competition is not only the life of trade, it is the
life of man and without it man will die of inactivity which comes when
interest dies.

"But my country, my poor Russia, my brave Russia! She will yet see her
error and build up a government like your own, a free government of the
people, a government not without its faults, but ever striving toward
perfection. She must do it!"

He sank back exhausted by this impassioned utterance. For some time he did
not move nor speak. At last he roused himself.

"And now, my friend," he said, "you in your great balloon will take us
somewhere, I am sure."

"If we can get our engine started," said Dave.

"We will help you."

At that moment Jarvis, who had wandered down the aisle, came storming
back.

"'Oo's the two 'eathen that just went out the door?" he demanded.

"Just some natives that came here and wished to stay," smiled the Russian.
"When they came, they had been pretty badly torn up by a polar bear. We
nursed them back to life and they have been so grateful for it that they
have never left."

"Good reason!" stormed Jarvis. "Gold! Gold! The City of Gold."

"We have a little gold here," smiled the Russian, "but precious little
good it's ever been to us."

"Now mind y'. I'm a tellin' y'," stormed Jarvis, striking his fists
together, "them's no natural 'eathen. Them's two spies from far down the
coast. A polar bear me eye! An ice anchor it was that cut 'alf a ear off'n
the little one. Them's the lads that Dave and me 'ad the tussle with on
the submarine more'n a year ago. I tell you they're no natural 'eathen an'
I 'ates to think what'll 'appen to 'em if I meets up with 'em again."

Dave sprang to the door through which the men had just passed. They were
not to be seen. The incident was disturbing. There could be little doubt
but that Jarvis had identified the men as the same pair tha