I had turned from Del Mar when the valet entered, apparently to speak to Elaine, but in reality to throw them off their guard.

Under that cover I was able to watch the precious pair from the tail of my eye, I saw Del Mar nod to the valet as though he understood that some warning was about to be conveyed.  Although nothing was said, Del Mar was indicating by dumb show orders of some kind.  I had no idea what it was all about but I stood ready to whip out my gun on the slightest suspicious move from either.

“I hope you’ll pardon me, Miss Dodge,” Del Mar deprecated, as the valet retreated toward the door to the kitchen and pantry.  “But, you see, I have to be housekeeper here, too, it seems.”

Actually, though he was talking to us, it was in a way that enabled him by palming something in his hand, I fancied, to look at it.  It was, though I did not know it, the hastily scrawled warning of the valet.

It must have been hard to read, for I managed by a quick shift at last to catch just a fleeting glimpse that it was a piece of paper he held in his hand.  What was it, I asked myself, that he should be so secret about it?  Clearly, I reasoned, it must be something that was of interest to Elaine and myself.  If I must act ever, I concluded, now was the time to do so.

Suddenly I reached out and snatched the note from his hand.  But before I could read it Del Mar had sprung to his feet.

At the same instant a man leaped out from behind the curtains.

But I was on my guard.  Already I had drawn my revolver and had them all covered before they could make another move.

“Back into that corner—­by the window—­all of you,” I ordered, thinking thus to get them together, more easily covered.  Then, handing the note, with my other hand, to Elaine, I said to her, “See what it says—­quick.”

Eagerly she took it and read aloud, “House surrounded by soldiers.”

“Woodward,” I cried.

Still keeping them covered, I smiled quietly to myself and took one step after another slowly to the door.  Elaine followed.

I reached the door and I remember that I had to step on a metal mat to do so.  I put my hand behind me and grasped the knob about to open the door.

As I did so, the man who had jumped from behind the curtain suddenly threw down his upraised hands.  Before I could fire, instantaneously in fact, I felt a thrill as though a million needles had been thrust into all parts of my body at once paralyzing every muscle and nerve.  The gun fell from my nerveless hand, clattering to the floor.

The man had thrown an electric switch which had completed a circuit from the metal mat to the door-knob through my body and then to the light and power current of high power.  There I was, held a prisoner, by the electric current!

At the same instant, also, Del Mar with an oath leaped forward and seized Elaine by the arms.  I struggled with the door-knob but I could no more let go than I could move my feet off that mat.  It was torture.