may
as well make the best of it."

The men, all except the pilot, landed, and a dazzling electric
search-light was turned on the spot where Thorndyke and Johnston stood.
For a moment they were so blinded that they could not see, and then they
heard footsteps, and, their eyes becoming accustomed to the light, they
found themselves surrounded by several men, very strangely clad. They
all wore long cloaks that covered them from head to foot and every man
was more than six feet in height and finely proportioned. One of them,
who seemed to be an officer in command, bowed politely.

"I am Captain Tradmos, gentlemen, in the king's service. It is my duty
to make you my prisoners. I must escort you to the palace of the king."

"That's cool," said Johnston, to conceal the discomfiture that he felt,
"we had no idea that you had a kingdom. We have tramped all over this
island, and you are the first signs of humanity we have met."

He would have recalled his words before he had finished speaking, if he
could have done so, for he saw by the manner of the captain that he had
been over bold.

"Follow me," answered the officer curtly, and with a motion of his hand
to his men he turned toward the odd-looking vessel.

The two adventurers obeyed, and the cloaked men fell in behind them.
Neither Johnston nor Thorndyke had ever seen anything like the peculiar
boat that was moored to the rocky shore. It was about forty feet in
length, had a hull shaped like a racing yacht, but which was made of
black rubber inflated with air. It was covered with glass, save for a
doorway about six feet high and three feet wide in the side, and looked
like a great oblong bubble floating on the still dark water. As they
approached the searchlight was extinguished, and they were enabled to
see the boat to a better advantage by the aid of the electric lights
that illuminated the interior. It was with feelings of awe that the two
adventurers followed the captain across the gang-plank into the vessel.

The electric light was brilliantly white, and in various places pink,
red and light-blue screens mellowed it into an artistic effect that was
very soothing to the eye. The ceiling was hung with festoons of prisms
as brilliant as the purest diamonds, and in them, owing to the gently
undulatory movement of the vessel, colors more beautiful than those of
a rainbow played entrancingly. Rare pictures in frames of delicate
gold were interspersed among the clusters o