!"

Amazement held them motionless for as long as it took him to cross the
ledge--pleased amazement, as they knew him better. There are few things
more congenial to certain gentlemen than a chance to maul an easy
victim. And here was the easiest victim that either of these gentlemen
had seen in many a day. He was no match for them, could be no possible
match. Since he would have it so, they accepted joyously, closed in upon
him from either side and started to drag him down as a preliminary to
trampling the lights out of him....

But they counted without the absolute simplicity of a man who has found
an objective for the first time in his life and has set himself to reach
it, regardless. Mr. Peabody did not pause to fight or to wrestle. He let
them get a good grip on him and then took the unexpected way by keeping
right on--and, pinioning their arms, merely walking them over the edge
into space.

For an instant the three seemed to hang suspended, interlocked amid
smashing vines and taut creepers, and then toppled toward the lagoon.

* * * * *

Even before they struck, Sydney's despairing yell rang out. Their plunge
drowned it and gave way to the cries of startled sea birds, knifing the
air in flung white crescents and circling about the troubled spot that
boiled like blue champagne. But when he came up again the unfortunate
larrikin loosed shriek after bubbling shriek and floundered madly for
shore, all else forgotten in his dominant terror.

Willems was made of sterner metal. He grappled Peabody as they rose and
sought to use his long arms, reaching for the throat. He learned better
presently, however, and he learned, too, how much chance he had against
a man who had once won a fancy diving title at Travers Island. Junius
took him down by the feet and held him down until there was no spring
and no temper left to him, only a large and limp and very badly
frightened Hollander who wanted to get out of the wet. He was quite
willing to paddle after the Sydney Duck. Meanwhile Junius gathered up an
object in a fiber net that was floating near by and swam on to follow
his purpose....

The man Bendemeer was standing behind his little zinc bar when a shadow
sifted in through the doorway, and, looking up, he took a backward step
that nearly cost him his stock of glassware. The man Bendemeer was not
used to stepping back from anything, but the red and dripping ruin that
confronted him was beyo