anded
Dorothy.

"How should I know?" indifferently; then, as both girls started for
Perkins' room he ordered brusquely:

"Sit down, Miss Vaneman. Let them fight it out. Perkins has his orders
to lay off you--you lay off him. I'm not taking any chances of getting
you hurt, that's one reason I wanted you armed. If he gets gay, shoot
him; otherwise, hands off completely."

Dorothy threw up her head in defiance, but meeting his cold stare she
paused irresolutely and finally sat down, biting her lips in anger,
while the other girl went on.

"That's better. She doesn't need any help to whip that yellow dog. He's
whipped already. He never would think of fighting unless the odds were
three to one in his favor."

* * * * *

When Margaret had returned from a fruitless search of Perkins' room and
had assured herself that he had no more weapons concealed about his
person, she thrust the pistol back into her pocket and sat down.

"That ends that," she declared. "I guess you will be good now, won't
you, Mr. Perkins?"

"Yes," that worthy muttered. "I have to be, now that you've got the drop
on me and DuQuesne's gone back on me. But wait until we get back! I'll
get you then, you...."

"Stop right there!" sharply. "There's nothing I would rather do than
shoot you right now, if you give me the slightest excuse, such as that
name you were about to call me. Now go ahead!"

DuQuesne broke the silence that followed.

"Well, now that the battle is over, and since we are fed and rested, I
suggest that we slow down a bit and get ready to start back. Pick out
comfortable seats, everybody, and I'll shoot a little more juice through
that bar."

Seating himself before the instrument board, he advanced the speed lever
slowly until nearly three-quarters of the full power was on, as much as
he thought the others could stand.

For sixty hours he drove the car, reducing the acceleration only at
intervals during which they ate and walked about their narrow quarters
in order to restore the blood to circulation in their suffering bodies.
The power was not reduced for sleep; everyone slept as best he could.

Dorothy and Margaret talked together at every opportunity, and a real
intimacy grew up between them. Perkins was for the most part sullenly
quiet, knowing himself despised by all the others and having no outlet
here for his particular brand of cleverness. DuQuesne was always
occupied with his work and on