esperation was on me. "Faster, Don!"

The voice behind us grew more imperative. Then from nearby, two men
came running at us. An uproar was beginning. We were discovered!

* * * * *

Don's revolver was out. It seemed suddenly that men were all around
us. From behind a tree-trunk squarely ahead a figure appeared with
leveled cylinder. The ground leaves were swishing behind us with
swiftly advancing footsteps.

"Easy, Bob!"

Don found his wits. If he had not at that moment we would doubtless
have been annihilated in another few seconds. "Bob, we're
caught--don't shoot!"

I had flung away the cylinder and drawn my revolver; but Don shoved
down my extended hand and held up his own hand.

"We're caught!" He shouted aloud. "Don't kill us! Don't kill us!"

It seemed that everywhere we looked was a leveled cylinder. I half
turned at the running footsteps behind us. A man's voice called in
English.

"Throw down your weapons! Down!"

Don cast his revolver away, and mine followed. I was aware that Jane
had recognized Don's voice, and that she was on her feet staring in
our direction with horrified eyes.

The man from behind pounced upon us. It was the giant, Tako.

"Well, my friends of the restaurant! The American who knows New York
City so well! And the Bermudian! This is very much to my liking. You
thought your jail would imprison me, did you not?"

He stood regarding us with his sardonic smile, while our captors
surrounded us, searching our belts for other weapons. And he added,
"I was garbed like you when we last met. Now you are garbed like me.
How is that?"

* * * * *

They led us into the lighted area of the grove. "The American who
knows New York City so well," Tako added. "And the Bermudian says he
knows it also. It is what you would call an affair of luck, having
you here."

He seemed highly pleased. He gazed at us smilingly. We stood silent
while the men roughly stripped the broken wires and disks from us.
They recognized the equipment. There was a jargon of argument in
their strange guttural language. Then at Tako's command three of
them started for the house.

Jane had cried out at sight of us. Her captor had ordered her back
to her seat by the tree.

"So?" Tako commented. "You think silence is best? You are wise. I am
glad you did not make us kill you just now. I am going to New York
and you shall go with me; what you know of the c