* *

We were caught! No amount of bluff would save us now. Fraser demanded
that truth, facts, actual information--and he wouldn't be fooled by
anything spurious. Foulet's shoulder touched mine as we peered up
through the roof of our cell at our mad captor. We spoke together:

"There is nothing to say."

The assured smile left Fraser's lips. His eyes glittered red. His
whole mad face was contorted with fury. A volley of oaths poured
through his twisted mouth. With a gesture of insane rage he pulled the
nearest cable to him and slashed it with the knife!

Our cell tilted. Foulet and I were thrown in a heap on the floor. We
sprang up to face Fraser again through the roof. His mad eyes glared
down at us, soul-chilling, maniacal.

"Talk!" he snarled. "Talk--or I'll slice another!" He drew the second
cable to him, holding it in readiness.

I clenched my teeth. Beside me I could see the muscles of Foulet's jaw
working. Talk? Never!

"Talk!" screamed Fraser. "Talk!" Our silence and our white faces were
his only answer. There was a gleam of the knife in the rosy light. Our
cell lurched, quivered, then caught. Would it hold with only two
cables? It was hanging on its side. We were standing on what had been
the wall. Through the opening in the roof we could see nothing but
rosy light and distant stars. How strong were the cables? Could they
hold against the pull of the magnetic ray? We could feel the pull now;
feel the strain on the cables above us. If Fraser cut the third one--

"Talk!" his voice came, hoarse with fury. "Talk now! You can't see
me," he went on; "but I'm pulling the third cable toward me. I'm
raising the knife. Will you talk?"

Standing on that quaking wall Foulet and I stared at each other. How
long would it be? One second? Half a minute? Thank God it would be
quick! This was the worst now. This eternity of waiting.... "I'm
cutting it!" yelled Fraser--and with his words the cell lurched,
swung, whirled like a spinning top. Foulet and I were tossed around
like dried peas in a pod.

Suddenly the thing steadied. Two steel hooks were clamped on the edge
of the opening in what had been the roof, and Brice stared at us
through the aperture!

"Quick!" he gasped. "There's not a second to lose. Don't stare! Quick,
I say. I've got the ladder here. It's steel and it'll hold. Climb up."

* * * * *

Dumbly we obeyed. Our heads were whirling, our bodies bruised and
mashed