r hands.

Don occasionally would stoop, poking at the ground as though looking
for something. He was heading us in a wide curve through the grove
so that we were skirting the seated figures. We had already been
seen, of course, but as yet no one heeded us. But every moment we
expected the alarm to come. My revolver was in the pouch of my belt
where I could quickly jerk it out. I brandished the useless light
cylinder ostentatiously.

"Don!" I gripped him. We stopped under a banana tree, half hidden in
its drooping leaves. "Don--more of them coming!"

Out in the empty field, apparitions of men were materializing. Then
we heard a tread near us, and stiffened. I thought that we were
discovered. A man passed close to us, heading in toward the girls.
He saw us; he raised a hand palm outward with a gesture of greeting
and we answered it.

* * * * *

For another two or three minutes we stood there, peering, searching
for some sign of Jane.... Men were distributing food to the girls
now.

And then we saw Jane! She was seated alone with her back against a
banana tree, a little apart from the others. And near her was a
seated man's figure, guarding her.

"Don! There she is! We can get near her! Keep on the way we were
going. We must go in a wide curve to come up behind her."

We started forward again. We were both wildly excited; Jane was at
the edge of the lighted area. We could come up behind her; shoot her
guard; seize her and dash off.... I saw that the mesh of wires,
disks and a helmet were on Jane....

Don suddenly stumbled over something on the ground. A man who had
been lying there, asleep perhaps, rose up. We went sidewise, and
passed him.

But his voice followed us. Unintelligible, angry words.

"Keep on!" I murmured. "Don't turn!"

It was a tense moment. The loud words brought attention to us. Then
there came what seemed a question from someone over by the girls. We
could not answer it. Then two or three other men shouted at us.

Don stopped, undecided.

"No!" I whispered. "Go ahead! Faster Don! It's darker ahead."

We started again. It seemed that all the camp was looking our way.
Voices were shouting. Someone called a jibe and there was a burst of
laughter. And from behind us came a man's voice, vaguely familiar,
with a sharp imperative command.

Should we run? Could we escape now, or would a darting green beam
strike us? And we were losing our chance for Jane.

D