he murmured. "Be prepared for a dash.
There's stairs to the right. I may start something." His words were short
and quick. Evidently his heart was giving him trouble.

"All right," Johnny stood on tip-toes in his agitation.

Suddenly Pant reared his tube in air. Then, to Johnny's utter
astonishment, he dropped on one knee and peered into an opening at one
side of it.

"A periscope!" whispered Johnny. "But what can you see in the dark?"

For a moment Pant did not answer. His breath came in little gasps.

"She's there," he whispered. "She's tied. There's terror in her eyes.
There's something crawling on the floor. Can't make it out. We gotta get
up there quick."

All at once a shot rang out. It came from the window. The tinkle of broken
glass sliding down the bamboo tube told that the periscope was a wreck.

"Periscope's done for. They saw," whispered Pant. "Now for it. Up the
stairs. They gave our signal. Boys will rush the place from the front.
C'mon!"

They were off like a flash. Up the stairs they bounded. A door obstructed
their way. Johnny's shoulder did for that.

Crashing into the room they found a candle flaring. Two persons were
struggling to free themselves from imitation dragon costumes. It had been
these who frightened Mazie.

"Snap dragon!" exclaimed Johnny, seizing one of the beasts by the tail,
and sending him crashing through the panels of a door.

"Snap dragon!" He sent the other through the window to the ground below.

"I'll teach you!" He glared about him for an instant. Then his eyes fell
on Mazie. Without attempting to free her, he gathered her into his arms
and fairly hurled her through the door where he and Pant had entered. Then
he took his stand in front of it.

He was not a moment too soon, for now the place was swarming with little
yellow men. In the light of the candle, their faces seemed hideously
distorted with hate. At once Johnny went into action. His right took a man
under the chin. No sound came from him save a dull thud. A second went
jibbering over the window-sill. A third crashed against the plaster wall.
Pant, too, was busy. Everywhere at once, his wicked little dagger gleamed.
But, suddenly, two of the strongest sprang at him, bearing him to the
floor.

Leaping at these, Johnny gripped them by their collars and sent them
crashing together. His breath was coming in hoarse gasps. He could stand
little more of this. Where were the boys?

As if in answer, there came th