oter, dressed in the arms of an ancient race,
speaking English of the seventeenth century!

* * * * *

As at a phantom, he regarded the stalwart, faintly ominous figure,
from heavy leather sandals to bronze greaves, thence to wide belt from
which dangled more of those curious grenadelike objects. His glance
paused on the officer's beautifully wrought bronze cuirasse or breast
plate which showed in relief an emerald scaled dolphin and trident.
These, Nelson decided, must be the national emblems of this
incomprehensible nation.

Then their eyes met, held each other a long moment until the tall
officer's features, disfigured by a long red scar across the jaw,
broke into a hard smile.

"Hero Giles Hudson begs thy pardon," he said, "but methought thou
spoke in the language of Sir Henry Hudson, my ancestor?"

"Sir Henry Hudson!" stammered Nelson incredulously. "The old explorer
whose men turned him adrift? So that's why you're talking embalmed
English!" In desperation his weary brain strove to understand.

"I know naught," replied the other with a grave smile, "save that the
founder of our royal line spoke what he called English. He came from
the Ice World to rule wisely over Atlans. He was the greatest
Atlantean of history."

"Atlantean?" echoed Nelson, while his mind groped frantically in the
recess of his memory. "Atlans, Atlantis!" A great light broke upon
him. "The lost Atlantis! Great God!" Had he stumbled upon a remnant of
that powerful people whose fabled empire had been drowned ten
centuries ago in the cold waves of the Atlantic?

* * * * *

"Aye," the yellow haired warrior continued as though reading his
thoughts, "long centuries ago this valley was peopled by those who
escaped the great cataclysm which ended the mother country. Later came
another race, barbarian wanderers like thyself." He bowed for all the
world like a courtly English gentleman. "But methinks thou art in need
of food and sustenance?"

"You bet I'm hungry," was Nelson's emphatic reply. "I'm one short jump
of starvation and the D. T.'s. But hold on a minute," he cried. "I'm
looking for a friend of mine. He went by here, didn't he?"

"Aye." A crafty expression Nelson did not like crept into Hero Giles
Hudson's face as he solemnly inclined his head.

"For the nonce, fair sir, thy companion is hale and sound. I beg your
patience."

With a quick gesture the Atlantean raised h