itate my voice well enough
to fool Ellen. It would be simple enough for a man like him. He
probably had that long conversation with me at headquarters to make
sure he hadn't forgotten the timbre and pitch of my voice ... and to
hear how it sounded over the telephone. Please have plain-clothes men
pick up Ellen in Washington Square. And that, Tyler, if you'll notice,
is also downtown."

Bentley felt that he would go mad with anxiety as he awaited some news
from the plain-clothes men Tyler had ordered to look for Ellen
Estabrook.

He had asked Tyler to issue rather unusual instructions to the
plain-clothes men around the Hervey residence. They were to make no
attempt to halt anyone who might approach the house, but were to
permit no one to depart. It was a weak plan, but knowing the supreme
egotism of Barter, Bentley felt that the old scientist would
deliberately accept such a challenge. He wouldn't mind risking the
loss of a minion.

- - -

"He controls his puppets from his hideout, Tyler," Bentley explained,
"and won't hesitate to send them into danger since it can't touch him.
And he watches every move they make, too. He's made some television
adaptation of his own. I'll wager, if he so desires, he can see us
sitting here right now, even perhaps hear what we say. I can fancy
hearing him chuckle, and Tyler...?"

"Yes?"

"I can see old man Hervey on an operating table with Barter bending
over him, working fiendishly. Behind Barter are cages of apes."

"But how could he transport apes to his hideout?"

"He could manage to smuggle anything anywhere. Money paves the way to
any accomplishment, Tyler. We needn't concern ourselves with how he
does it, but with the fact that he must surely have apes in his
hideout."

There came suddenly an imperious ringing of the doorbell.

Bentley and Tyler leaped to their feet, their hands streaking for
their automatics which they had placed within easy reach on the table.
Side by side they sprang for the door, and flung it open.

A chill of horror ran through Bentley.

"Mother of God!" cried Tyler.

"Mr. Hervey!" shrieked Timkins. The secretary, noting the figure which
toppled so grimly into the room, fainted. The thud of his body
followed the thud of the old man's body to the floor.

In that first moment of overwhelming terror, all three men noted that
Hervey's skull-pan was missing.

"Look after details here, Tyler!" cried Bentley, quickly recovering
him