s just as a horde of emissaries swarmed up to meet him,
reinforcements to the fisher thugs.

For in some way the Automaton had been warned of Locke's presence, and
with all the emissaries it could summon had hastened to Old Tom's shack.

Most unfortunate of all, the Automaton and its men had arrived just
behind the car bearing Eva, and she, not suspecting the danger, had
entered the shack.

Although she did not see Locke, she was overjoyed to see that the
detectives held the upper hand. She had started to search for him, when
there came a terrifying crash at the door and more emissaries, followed
by the Automaton, came into the room.

The detectives were almost instantly overpowered, and the mob made for
the stairs just as Locke was descending.

In that narrow space a most terrible battle took place. Man after man
Locke hurled against his fellows, and they went crashing down, only to
rise again and attack.

Finally they came to hand-grips, and Locke, lunging furiously to free
himself, threw his body against the partition of the stairway and it
came crashing down, hurling Locke and the emissaries to the floor below.

Locke was badly stunned, and before he could rise the emissaries had
swathed him in the huge net that the old hag had been mending. Next they
bound him with ropes until he was utterly helpless in the meshes of the
net.

Eva, half crazed with horror, was in a far corner, and the Automaton was
advancing upon her. She was paralyzed with fear.

What fate was in store for her--what for Locke?

CHAPTER XXII

The sharp crack of an automatic echoed through the shack. The detective
known as Jim had come back to consciousness, and now, from behind an
overturned table where he had fallen, he started to fire shot after shot
into the mob of emissaries.

He had fallen in a far corner and could be reached only after an attack
of some paces, and even the emissaries, numerous as they were, hesitated
to advance on a determined man placed in such an advantageous position.
Furthermore, the diversion caused by the shots had other effects. The
sound of the shots brought Locke fully out of his stunned condition and
he started to struggle frantically in the meshes of the net that held
him prisoner.

The Automaton, for the moment, ceased to follow Eva, and moved over to
its men in order to take command and to direct their movements, while
yet another detective came to his senses and began to threaten the mob.