“Henry!” called Del Mar to the valet.

“Yes, sir.”

“Open the cabinet.  Give me the helmets and the suits.”

The valet did so, bringing out a number of queer looking head-pieces with a single weird eye of glass in the front, as well as rubber suits of an outlandish design.  While he was doing so, Del Mar stuffed a handkerchief into Elaine’s mouth to keep her quiet.

By this time, Del Mar, as well as the man from behind the curtains and the valet were provided with suits, and one at a time holding Elaine, the others put them on.

Del Mar moved toward Elaine, holding an extra helmet.  He strapped it on her, then started to force her into a suit.

I struggled still, but in vain, to free myself from the door-knob and mat.  It was more than I could stand, and I sank down, half conscious.

I revived only long enough to see that Del Mar had forced one of the suits on Elaine finally.  Then he pressed a button hidden on the side of his desk and a secret panel in the wall opened.  Picking up Elaine he and the others hurried through into what looked like a dark passage and the panel closed.

They were gone.  I put forth all my remaining strength in one last desperate struggle.  Somehow, I managed to kick the wire mat from under my feet, breaking the contact.

I staggered toward the panel, but fell to the floor, unconscious.

. . . . . . .

Outside, the iron ring, as Woodward had planned it, of soldiers were looking about, alert for any noise or movement.  Suddenly, two of them who had been watching the grounds attentively signalled to each other that they saw something.

From the shrubbery emerged a most curious and uncouth figure, all in rags, with long, unkempt hair and beard, sallow complexion, and carrying a long staff.  It might have been a tramp or a hermit, perhaps, who was making his way toward the house.

The two soldiers stole up noiselessly, close to him.  Almost before he knew it, the hermit felt himself seized from behind by four powerful arms.  Escape was impossible.

“Let me go,” he pleaded.  “Can’t you see I’m harming no one?”

But the captors were obdurate.  “Tell it to the Lieutenant,” they rejoined grimly forcing him to go before them by twisting his arms, “Our orders were to seize any one entering or leaving.”

Protests were in vain.  The hermit was forced to go before Lieutenant Woodward who was just in the rear directing the advance.

“Well,” demanded Woodward, “what’s your business?”

For an instant the hermit stood mute.  What should he do?  He has reason to know that the situation must be urgent.

Slowly he raised his beard so that Woodward could see not only that it was false but what his features looked like.

“Arnold!” gasped Woodward, startled.  “What brings you here?  Elaine and Jameson are in the house.  We have it surrounded.”