e receiver in his hand, his mouth against
the transmitter.

"Well, Professor Barter?" he said conversationally.

- - -

There came a gasp from Thomas Tyler. He jumped to the door and
motioned to someone. A man in uniform came to his side. Bentley
distinctly heard Tyler tell the man to have this telephone call
traced.

From the receiver came a well-remembered chuckle.

"So you were expecting me, eh, Bentley? You never really believed that
one of my genius would fall such easy prey to the great apes did
you?"

"Of course not, Professor," said Bentley soothingly. "It would be an
insult to your vivid mentality."

"_Vivid_ mentality! _Vivid_ mentality! Why, Bentley, there isn't
another brain in the world to compare with mine. And you of all people
should know it. The whole world will know it before I'm finished, for
I have made tremendous strides since you helped me to perform that
crowning achievement in Africa. By the way, tell your friend Tyler,
who just called the officer to the door, that it's useless to try to
trace this call!"

Bentley jumped as though he had been stung. How had Barter known what
Tyler was doing? How had he guessed what Tyler had told the man in
uniform? How had Barter known Bentley was visiting Tyler? How had he
discovered even that Bentley was back in the United States? Why,
besides, was he so friendly with Bentley now?

"You speak, Professor," said Bentley softly, "as though you could see
right into police headquarters."

"I can, Bentley! I can!" said Barter impatiently, as though he were
rebuking a schoolboy for saying the obvious.

"You're close by, then?"

"No. I'm a long way--several miles--from you. But I can see everything
you do. And you needn't look at Tyler in such surprise!"

- - -

Bentley started. He had looked at Tyler in a surprised way and, clever
though he was, he didn't think that Barter could have _guessed_ so
accurately to the second the gesture he had made. Barter chuckled.

"It's a good jest, isn't it? But listen to me, Bentley, I've a great
scheme in hand for the amelioration of mankind. I need your help,
mostly because you were such an excellent subject in my greatest
successful experiment."

"Will it be the same sort of experiment as the other?" Bentley's heart
was in his mouth as he asked the question.

"Yes, the same ... but there are improvements I have succeeded in
perfecting since the creation of Manape. My one mistake w