very quiet just here, and the lamps
at the ends of the bridge, the only lights just here, seemed to me
less brilliant than usual. As the two women came toward me, somewhat
slowly, I drew back into the shelter of the bushes, and they passed
me, speaking low. I remember that, at the moment, the thought of our
singular isolation in this spot crossed my mind, and I wondered why we
did not see somewhere a second Columbian Guard on duty.

And now my guard passed me hurriedly, looking neither to right nor
left, and I crept forward across the grass and under the trees. I
could now see that the women had stopped upon the bridge nearest the
island, and on the side facing eastward, and looking over the face of
the lagoon at its widest, and across to the silent and now almost
utterly darkened Manufactures Building, and that the guard had joined
them. Rather, that he was speaking with the brunette, while the other,
with bent head, stood a little aloof.

And then, as I looked and wondered, two figures arose suddenly, or so
it seemed, from the base of the statue at the end of the bridge, just
behind the guard, and as he bent his head toward the little decoy
there was a silent, forward spring, a sudden heaving movement, and a
splash. With a shout for help I bounded forward, tearing off my coat
as I ran. I was conscious of four flying figures that passed me,
hastening islandward, but my thoughts were all for that figure that
had gone over into the lagoon silently and without a struggle.

As I tore down the bank at the side of the pier, I heard low voices,
and could see a boat in the shadow of the bridge; and as I was about
to plunge into the water, a voice said sharply:

'Keep out, mate, we've got him!' And in a moment the boat came out,
and I saw two men were supporting the guard, half in and half out of
the water, and the other pushing the skiff to shore.

As I stepped into the water to their assistance, I saw at one glance
that my friend had fallen into the able hands of two of the emergency
crew, whose duty it was to patrol the lagoons by night, and that he
was insensible.

'He struck our boat in falling,' one of them said to me, 'and I'm
afraid he's got a hurt head. Too bad; if he hadn't fainted we'd 'a'
winged one of that crowd, sure.'

CHAPTER XVII.

'THOSE TWO WOMEN.'

My friend the guard had received a blow upon the head, painful but not
fatal. He would be about in a few days, the hospital surgeon said. But