ring all his
ships ready for instant flight. Very useful. The big plane is fueled
and full of oil. We'll go out to it and take off."

* * * * *

Jamison lifted The Master to his feet and with a surge of muscles
swept him down to the flooring of the dock.

"Paula first," said Bell, "and then The Master, and then you,
Jamison."

"One moment," said The Master reproachfully. "It would be cruel not to
let me reassure my subjects. I will give an order."

Bell and Jamison listened suspiciously. But he spoke gently to the
coachman.

"You will tell the deputies," said The Master in Spanish, "that a
month's supply of medicine for all my subjects will be found in my
laboratory. And you may tell them that I shall return before the end
of that time."

The coachman's eyes filled with a passionate relief.

"Now," said The Master placidly, "I am ready for our little jaunt."

Paula descended the ladder and seated herself in the bow of the boat.
Bell covered The Master grimly with his automatic as he descended,
with surprising agility. Jamison came down last, and resumed his
former grip on The Master's collar. Bell rowed out to the big plane.

* * * * *

Jamison kept close watch while Bell started the four huge motors and
throttled them down to warming up speed, and while he hauled up the
anchor with which the huge seaplane was anchored.

The dock was covered with a swarm of panic stricken folk. Everywhere,
all the inhabitants of the city who were slaves to The Master had come
in awful terror to watch. And all the inhabitants of the city were
slaves to The Master. Some of them fell to their knees and held out
imploring arms to Bell, begging him for mercy and the return of The
Master. Some cursed wildly.

But, with his jaws set grimly, Bell gave the motors the gun.

The big plane moved heavily, then more swiftly through the water. It
lifted slowly, and rose, and rose, and dwindled to a speck high in the
air.

And all through the streets and ways of Punta Arenas, fear stalked
almost as a tangible thing. Panic hovered over the housetops, always
ready to descend. Terror was in the air that every man breathed, and
every human being looked at every other human being with staring,
haunted eyes. Punta Arenas was waiting for its murder madness to
begin.

CHAPTER XVIII

There were four motors to pull the big plane through the air, and
their roaring was a vast t