place. My prison was one of the places to be
blown up, and I managed to escape, without being hurt much. I heard that
they had captured the crew of one of the airships, and I came to see if
I could help. They don't know yet that I'm free, and I have two hand
grenades.

"Now listen carefully. I'll throw the grenades at the front gate. By
shattering that it may be possible for you to get out. The two sentries,
will have to take the chances of war. If you get out can you get away in
your airship?"

"Yes, and we can take you with us--Dad!" exclaimed Tom in a tense
whisper.

"Who speaks?" hoarsely asked the man in the shadow of the stockade.

"It is I--your son--Tom Raymond! Oh, thank heaven I have found you at
last!" exclaimed Tom, and he tried to stretch his hand through the
barbed wire, but it was too close.

"Is it really you, Tom, my boy?" asked Mr. Raymond in a broken voice,
full of wonder.

"Yes! And to think I should find you here, of all places!" whispered
Tom. "I won't stop now to ask how it happened. Can you throw those
grenades at the gate?"

"I can, and will! Tell your friends to run back to the far end of the
stockade to avoid being hurt. I can crouch down behind some of the
ruined walls."

Tom and Jack quickly communicated the good news to their friends, that a
rescue was about to be attempted. It was a desperate chance, but they
were in the mood for such.

The two guards alone remaining of the force that had been posted about
the stockade were so distracted by the fires and explosions around them,
and so fearful of their own safety, that they did not pay much attention
to the prisoners. So when Tom and Jack passed the word, and the airship
crew ran to the end of the stockade and crouched down to avoid injury
when the hand grenades should be exploded, the guards paid little
attention.

Mr. Raymond, for it was indeed he, crawled to a position of vantage, and
then threw the hand grenades. They were fitted with short-time fuses,
and almost as soon as they fell near the stockade gate they exploded
with a loud report. A great hole was torn in the ground, and one of the
sentries was killed while the other was so badly injured as to be
incapable of giving an alarm. The gate was blown to pieces.

"Come on!" cried Tom to his friends, as he saw what his father had done.
"It's now or never, before they rush in on us."

They raced to the breach in the wire wall of the stockade. Mr. Raymond,
springing up