wake up."

"What we oughta do is kill 'em. Polter's a fool."

"The doctor say, wait for him return. Not long, what you call three,
four hours."

"And have the Quebec police up here lookin' for 'em? An' that damn girl
he stole off the Terrace. What did he call her, Barbara Kent?"

"These two who are drugged, their bodies can be thrown in a gully down
behind St. Anne. That what the doctor plan to do, I think. Then the
police find them--days maybe from now--and their smashed airship with
them."

Gruesome suggestion!

The man at the microscope called, "They are almost gone I can hardly see
them any more." He left the platform and joined the others. And I saw
that he was much smaller than they--about my own size possibly.

There seemed six men here altogether. Four now, by the ingots, and two
others far across the room where I saw the dark entrance of the
corridor-tunnel which led to Polter's castle.

Again I felt a warning hand touch my face, and saw the figure of Glora
standing by my head. She was larger now--about a foot tall. She moved
past my eyes; stood by my mouth; bent down over my gag. I felt the
cautious slide of a tiny knife-blade inserted under the fabric of the
gag. She hacked, tugged at it, and in a moment ripped it through.

She stood panting from the effort. My heart was pounding with fear that
she would be seen; but the man had turned the central light off when he
left the microscope, and it was far darker here now than before.

I moistened my dry mouth. My tongue was thick, but I could talk.

"Thank you, Glora."

"Quiet!"

I felt her hacking at the ropes around my wrists. And then at my ankles.
It took her a long time, but at last I was free! I rubbed my arms and
legs; felt the returning circulation in them.

And presently Alan was free. "George, what--" he began.

"Wait," I whispered. "Easy! Let her tell us what to do."

We were unarmed. Two, against these six, three of whom were giants.

Glora whispered, "Do not move! I have the drugs. But I can not give them
to you when I am still so small. I have not enough. I will hide--there."
Her little arm gestured to where, near us, half a dozen boxes were
piled. "When I am large as you, I come back. Be ready, quickly to act. I
may be seen. I give you then the drug."

"But wait," Alan whispered. "Tell us--"

"The drug to make you large. Large enough to fight these men. I had
planned to do that myself, until I saw you held captive. That girl