d, and the scenes at
the mine, as De Boer saw them would be flashed back to us here.

This Gutierrez was very watchful. A move on my part and I knew he
would fling a needle through me.

My thoughts flew. Hanley had notified Porto Rico. The patrol-ship had
almost enough time to get here by now.

I felt Jetta plucking at me. She whispered:

"They have gone to attack the mine."

"Yes."

"I heard it planned. Senor Perona--"

Her hurried whispers told me further details of Perona's scheme. So
this was a pseudo attack! Perona would take advantage of it and hide
the quicksilver. De Boer would return presently and escape. And hold
me for ransom. I chuckled grimly. Not so easy for a bandit, even one
as clever as De Boer at hiding in the Lowland depths to arrange a
ransom for an agent of she United States. Our entire Lowland patrol
would be after him in a day.

* * * * *

Jetta's swift whispers made it all clear to me. It was Perona's
scheme.

She ended, "And my father--" Her voice broke; her eyes flooded
suddenly with tears "Oh, Philip, he was good to me, my poor father."

I saw that the mirror before Hans was glowing with its coming image. I
pressed Jetta's hand.

"Yes, Jetta."

One does not disparage the dead. I could not exactly subscribe to
Jetta's appraisal of her parent, but I did not say so.

"Jetta, the mirror is on."

I turned away from her toward the instrument table. Gutierrez at the
door raised his weapon. I said hastily, "Nothing. I--we just want to
see the mirror."

I stood beside Hans. He glanced at me and I tried to smile
ingratiatingly.

"This attack will be successful, eh, Hans?"

"Damn. I hope so."

The mirror was glowing. Hans turned a switch to dim the tube-lights of
the room so that we might see the images better. It brought a protest
from Gutierrez.

I swung around. "I'm not a fool! You can see me perfectly well: kill
me if I make trouble. I want to see the attack."

"_Por Dios_, if you try anything--"

"I won't!"

"Shut!" growled Hans. "The audiphone is on. The big adventure--and the
commander--leaves me here just to watch!"

* * * * *

A slit in the observatory pane was open. The dark figure of one of the
bandits on guard outside came and called softly up to us.

"Started. Hans?"

"Starting."

"Should it go wrong, call out."

"Yes. But it will not."

"There was an alarm, relayed probably to Great New