d you both," he announced sharply. "I shall not go
to that trouble again. Keep away from me. Never mind where I
am going, or what I am going to do."

Then a spasm of pain shot across the poor fellow's face. Calm
as he tried to keep himself, it was plain that his burned hand
and arm were causing him great suffering.

"Won't you come with us," pleaded Dick, "and get that arm of yours
attended to? We'll take you to the right place."

"To the right place?" mocked Garwood harshly. "Right into the
camp of my enemies, I suppose? Among those who deride my great
invention, and yet who would capture me and steal my wonderful
discovery from me. Boys, I have already told you that if you
follow me, you will follow me to grave harm. Beware in time.
Run! Leave me! Or your fates be on your own heads, for I am
master of the world and can force you to obey me!"

As Garwood spoke the last words another change crossed his face.
He reached into an inner coat pocket.

"You will not obey me," he remarked. "Therefore, I must act to
save myself and my great discovery. 'Tis as you would have it!"

"Duck!" gasped Dave Darrin, seizing Dick by one arm. "He means
big mischief!"

What it was for which he had reached in his pocket neither Grammar
School boy saw, for both turned at the same instant, beating a
swift retreat. Sixty feet away, however, they halted, wheeling
about.

Garwood, seeing the boys run, acted as though he would give them
no further thought. He was already walking in the opposite direction,
his back turned to them.

"Ugh! He gives me cold chills," cried Darrin.

"He does the same to me," sighed Dick, "but it's a plain case
of duty to follow him until we can turn him over to those who'll
take good care of the poor fellow."

Just as Amos Garwood was on the point of vanishing from their
view, the two schoolboys started forward, more cautiously than
before.

Back of them in the woods, far away, sounded a boyish war-whoop.

"Hi-yi-yi-yi-_yoop_!" answered Dave Darrin.

Amos Garwood started forward with a bound like that of a deer.
Then his long legs went into rapid operation. Prescott and Darrin
ran onward as fast as they could go. They were trained to running,
too, but this "master of the world" set them a pace that no
fourteen-year-old boys on earth could have followed with any hope
of success.

"Whoop, but he's an airship for speed!" gasped Dave Darrin.

"We couldn't catch him with a locomotive," confessed Dick,