the
heating system, while Dave connected the batteries in series.

"'Ere they are," he exclaimed suddenly. "Right 'ere, me lad."

Soon a life-sustaining warmth came gently stealing over the place.

"Take hoff 'alf the batteries," suggested Jarvis, "'alf's a plenty.
There's no tellin' 'ow long we'll be sailin' in this hark."

This was hardly done when their attention was attracted by the stranger.
He had groaned and turned over.

"Now that it's warm enough," suggested Dave, "we'd better try to help the
poor fellow back to consciousness. If he hasn't suffered a concussion of
the brain, he'll live yet, and perhaps he can tell us things. There are
plenty of questions I'd like to ask him."

"Yes," exclaimed Jarvis eagerly. "'Oo killed Frank Langlois."

They went to work over the man. Having removed his outer garments, they
unbuttoned his shirt and began chafing his hands, arms and chest, till
they were rewarded by a sigh of returning consciousness.

"Where am I?" the man whispered, as he opened his eyes.

"You're all right," answered Dave quickly. "Drink this and go back to
sleep."

He held a cup of steaming malted milk to the man's lips. He drank it
slowly. Then, turning an inquiring look on Dave, he murmured, "American?"

In another second he was lost in a sleeping stupor.

Dave twisted himself about and gazed down at the panorama of purple
shadows that flitted along beneath them.

"Patient doing well," he murmured at last. "Going due north by west. Forty
miles an hour, I'd say. Beautiful prospects for all of us, Mr. Jarvis.
Going right on into a land that does not belong to anybody and where
nobody lives. Upon which hundred thousand square miles would you prefer to
land?"

Jarvis did not answer. He was dreaming day dreams of other adventures he
had had in that strange no man's land.

Finally he shook himself and mumbled:

"No 'opes. No 'opes."

"Oh, I wouldn't say it was as bad as that," smiled Dave. "Let's have a cup
of tea."

"Yes, let's," murmured Jarvis.

CHAPTER X

PLAYING A LONE HAND

Hardly had Johnny Thompson in Vladivostok uttered his warning to the
doctor than a figure leaped out at him from a dark doorway. Not having
expected an attack from this direction, Johnny was caught unprepared. A
knife flashed. He felt a heavy impact on his chest. A loud snap followed
by a scream from his assailant. There came the wild patter of fleeing
footsteps, then the little drama ended.

"Hurt?