-light sent its beam ahead of
his outstretched hand. The baggage was handed down quickly and tommy
guns came into sight from the instrument cases. They were smoothly
polished and glistened under the dull light of lanterns. They followed
Lardner slowly down the vast hall that led under the lip of the
mountain. It was warmer and more humid now.

"The boss knows what he's doing," a voice said behind Drake. "These
fox people can't do us any harm during the day. By night we'll be
ready to blast them down in short order."

Unable to speak to Puffy, Drake was thinking plenty. If they went on
to wherever the tunnel led them, it would be too late to face Lardner
with any show of force. Drake knew that Sylvia Fanton would be caught
off guard if she were here. Could he raise some sort of alarm?

The man at his side seemed a trifle sleepy and disinterested in what
was going on. Making sure the man's gun was pointed away where he
wouldn't jerk the trigger, Drake lifted an arm high, pointing toward
the dark roof of the cave. Pretending fright, he shouted:

"Oh my God! Look!"

Before Lardner could control them, two men had raised their guns and
sent salvos of lead screaming into the darkness. Lardner's voice,
ahead in the shaft, shattered the silence that followed with wild
oaths.

"Who the hell did that?" He stormed back toward Drake, but Jim was
well satisfied with what he had done. The sound would carry for miles
into the base of the mountain. If Sylvia or her people were here....

From far down the shaft a faint bark echoed clearly. It was the bark
of a fox, followed in quick succession by more of the same sounds.

George Lardner faced him, neck red and arms akimbo.

"You're getting too damned clever for your own good," he shouted. "I
oughta' knock some of the cockiness out of you."

Drake had a slow temper. But behind the Cinderella Drake who had soused
himself so thoroughly in Lardner's whiskey still lurked the keen eyed
air patrol cadet who had only six months ago put his body through
every air battle on the west coast. Some of the old strength and nerve
were coming back now. Coming with a rush of hot blood to his head.

Puffy Adams had sworn he'd stick by Drake until that spirit returned.
Now, ringed in by steel death, Adams' face lighted with interest. Yet,
he realized that Drake had small chance against these bums.

The cave was dead silent again. Lardner breathed hard, crouched like
an oversized wrestler about