The Robinsons, resigned to defeat, ascended to
the hall above, with the gun yawning just at the rear.

Once more Garrison called out:

"Dorothy--where are you?"

"Here!" cried Dorothy, her voice still muffled behind a solid door.
"The room at the back. I can't get out!"

Garrison issued another order to Theodore, whom he knew to be the
governing spirit in the fight against himself and Dorothy:

"Put down one hand and get out your keys--but don't attempt to remove
anything else from your pocket, or I'll plug you on the spot."

Theodore cast a defiant glance across the leveled gun to the steady,
cool eyes behind it, and drew forth the keys, as directed.

"If that's you, Jerold--please, please get me out--the door is locked!"
called Dorothy, alarmed by each second of delay. "Where are you now?"

"Coming!" called Garrison. He added, to Theodore: "Keep one hand up.
Unlock the door." He called out again: "Keep cool when it's opened.
Don't confuse the situation."

Young Robinson, convinced that resistance at this point was useless,
inserted the key in the lock and opened the door, at the same time
casting a knowing look at his father, who stood over next to the wall.

In the instant that Garrison's attention was directed to the unlocked
room, old Robinson made a quick retreat to a tiny red box that was
screwed against the wall and twice pulled down a brass ring.

Garrison beheld the action too late to interpose. He knew the thing
for a burglar-alarm--and realized his own position.

Meantime Dorothy had not emerged.

"Jerold! Jerold!" she cried. "My feet are chained!"

"Get in there, both of you, double-quick!" commanded Garrison, and he
herded the Robinsons inside the room, fairly pushing them before him
with the gun.

Then he saw Dorothy.

White with fear, her eyes ablaze with indignation at the Robinsons, her
beauty heightened by the look of intensity in her eyes, she stood by
the door, her ankles bound together by a chain which was secured to the
heavy brass bed.

"Jerold!" she cried as she had before, but her voice broke and tears
started swiftly from her eyes.

"Be calm, dear, please," said Garrison, who had turned on her captors
with an anger he could scarcely control. "You cowards! You infamous
scoundrels!" he said. "Release those chains this instant, or I'll blow
off the top of your head!" He demanded this of Theodore.

"The key isn't here," said the latter, intent upon gaining time si