m
to see that Shelton's injury was inconsequential. He had only been
stunned and already showed signs of recovering.

"What is it, Mr. Vail? What's happened?" came the voice of Lina
Shelton breathlessly. She was framed in the doorway, dressed now and
panting from her exertions in responding to his call. "Oh, it's
father," she wailed, dropping to her knees at his side. "He's been
hurt. Badly, too."

"No, not badly, Miss Shelton. He'll be around in a minute. I'm sorry
to have excited you, but when I called I feared it was worse than it
is." He was washing the blood from her father's small wound as he
spoke.

She took the basin from his hand, spilling some of the water in her
eagerness. "Here, let me have that cloth," she demanded.

Eddie admired her as her deft fingers took up the task. She was as
exquisite in a simple sport outfit as she had been in her bathing
suit.

The scientist opened his eyes after a moment. Remembrance came at once
and he sat erect in the chair, staring.

"Lina!" he exclaimed, grasping her hand conclusively. "You're here,
thank God! I dreamed--oh, it was horrible--I dreamed they had you." He
clung to her closely.

"They?" she murmured inquiringly.

"Yes. Two of them are loose now. It's danger for you, my dear. You
must leave at once. No, no--I can't let you out of my sight until they
are captured or destroyed." He rose to his feet in his agitation and
shook his head to clear it. He looked pleadingly at Eddie as if
expecting him to offer a solution of the difficulty.

"Vail!" he exploded, then, pointing a shaking forefinger at an
elaborate short-wave radio transmitter which occupied a corner of the
large room. "I ask you to bear witness. That is the source of energy
for these creations of mine and it's shut down. How on earth can they
keep going? I ask you."

"Perhaps someone else, sir," Eddie suggested doubtfully. "Have you any
enemies who might be able to duplicate the impulses of that
apparatus?"

"Bah! Enemies, yes--with Universal--but none who could duplicate the
complicated frequencies I use. My secrets are my own. I've never even
put them on paper."

* * * * *

Eddie was examining the intricate apparatus. "You knew of the first
one's escape, didn't you?" he asked. "How did it happen?"

Shelton again became the enthusiastic scientist. "Here," he said,
"I'll show you and you can judge for yourself." He strode to the
gleaming figure of a seven-