ment of yellow stone. This
was their profession, the stern business of which they were masters.
In France they had seen worse sights, and in Nicaragua and Mexico.
They swept destructively out of the square and into a long tree-lined
avenue. This might be another world or dimension but its trees looked
not unlike those of tropical America.

In a short while the radiating streets were cleared of crowds and the
cries of the mob died away. Miles and Ward paused in the shadow of an
overhanging wall and wiped their faces. "That was quick work, all
right," said Ward; and, even as he said it, the wall seemed to fall
upon their unprotected heads and crush them into unconsciousness....

* * * * *

Out of a sick darkness they came. At first they thought they were
confronting Zoro. Then, as the mists of unconsciousness cleared from
aching heads, they perceived that they were in a vast hall crowded
with swarthy men in short tunics, and with greenish giants wearing
nothing but breech-clouts and swinging short clubs. The fierce eyes of
the greenish giants were upon them, and the vengeful ones of the
swarthy men. But the desire of both to rend and tear was held in check
by the dominant head emerging from a tubular container mounted upon a
wheelchair. The Americans stared. This was not the head of Zoro. No!

"The head of Spiro," thought Miles and Ward with sinking hearts.

They had fallen into the power of the leader of the insurgent workers!

Spiro--for it was indeed he--regarded them with pitiless eyes. His
English was slower and not as fluent as that of Zoro, and his words
harder to understand.

"You Americans, beings of another world, have come here at the
bidding of the Heads to slay and kill for gold."

He paused. "I who for three years studied your country, learned its
language, history, did not believe men of your race could be so vile."

He paused again, and Ward broke out hotly, "It is true that we came
here to fight for gold, but who are you to speak of vileness? Have you
not turned on the Heads, your benefactors, now your brothers, who
raised you to their height? Are you not leading a revolt of the
workers which would deny them the means of sustaining life? Are you
not seeking to perpetrate--murder?"

Spiro regarded him slowly. "Is it possible you are in ignorance of
what those means are? Listen, then, while I tell you the hideous
truth. Since the dawn of our history, until the prese