ions. The panic of the city's teeming millions struggling too
eagerly to escape.

It was night now--the night of May 19th. The city was in chaos, but
none of the details were apparent to us as we arrived. But we could
see, as we drifted with slow motion above the waters of the harbor,
that there were warships anchored here, and in the Hudson River.
They showed as little spectral dots of gray. And in the air, level
with us at times, the wraiths of encircling airplanes were visible.

"They see us," Tako repeated.

They did indeed. A puff of light and up-rolling smoke came from one
of the ships. A silent shot. Perhaps it screamed through us, but we
were not aware of it.

Tako chuckled. "They get excited, do they not? We strike terror--are
they going to fight like excited children?"

* * * * *

We were under sudden bombardment. Fort Wadsworth was firing; puffs
showed from several of the warships; and abruptly a group of ghostly
monoplanes dove at us like birds. They went through us, emerged and
sped away. And in a moment the shots were discontinued.

"That is better," said Tako. "What a waste of ammunition."

Our direction was carrying us from mid-Manhattan. The bridges to
Brooklyn were visible. Beyond them, over New York, mingled with
teeming buildings was a mountain slope of Tako's realm. I saw one of
our carriers lying on a ledge of it.

A sudden commotion in our car brought our attention from the scene
outside. The voices of girls raised in anger. Tolla's voice and
Jane's! Then came the sound of a scuffle!

"By what gods!" Tako exclaimed.

We all leaped to our feet. Tako rushed for the door of the
compartment with us after him. We burst in upon the girls. They were
standing in the center of the little room. One of the chairs was
overturned. Jane stood gripping Tolla by the wrists, and with
greater strength was forcibly holding her.

As we appeared, Jane abruptly released her, and Tolla sank to the
floor and burst into wild sobs. Jane faced us, red and white of
face, and herself almost in tears.

"What's the matter?" Don demanded. "What is it?"

But against all our questionings both girls held to a stubborn
silence.

CHAPTER IX

_A Woman Scorned_

Jane afterward told us just what happened in that compartment of the
carrier, and I think that for the continuity of my narration I had
best relate it now.

The cubby room was small, not much over six feet wide, an