he truth dawned upon him. The heavy fall to
the floor had rendered the older man insensible.

He must work fast. Reaching into his pocket he brought out the ever
handy electric torch and flashed it over the features of his prisoner.
Kell was breathing heavily. With dexterous hands O'Hara swiftly went
through the old man's pockets, removing all which might tend to make
that worthy dangerous--an ugly looking pistol of large caliber, a
blackjack similar to his own and a small bottle.

The latter item Jimmie examined curiously, finally uncorking it and
inhaling the contents. He inhaled, not wisely but too well. The fumes
from the vial were nigh overpowering, and he reeled back nauseated. The
cork he hastily replaced. Just what the nature of the powerful stuff
was he never attempted to discover. One acquaintance was enough.

* * * * *

He staggered to his feet and got the lantern lighted, then sat, gun in
hand, waiting for his prisoner's return to his senses. This was becoming
increasingly imminent, judging by certain changes in the Professor's
respiration. Finally there came a series of shuddering movements as the
man attempted to raise his battered body.

"Get up, you damned butcher," ordered Jimmie, "and march upstairs. And
just remember that I've got you covered; don't make any false moves." He
prodded the prostrate form of the by now glaring fiend before him. The
stench of the place was nearly overcoming him, and again he felt an
overwhelming desire to dash madly from that den of evil, and once more
breathe God's fresh air. Under the stimulus of several shoves the
Professor finally won to his feet and stumbled up the stairs. Jimmie was
taking no chances and kept the automatic sharply digging into the ribs
of his prisoner. The fight, however, seemed temporarily to have been all
taken out of the old man, and he made no resistance as the reporter
drove him on up to the laboratory.

The room he found exactly as he left it. At a word from him Norma Manion
came from her hiding place in the horrible room where she had been kept
prisoner.

With an hysterical scream she fell limply to the floor. The sight of her
father's murderer had proved too much for her. Forgetting his prisoner
for the moment Jimmie sprang to the girl's side.

Kell chose this moment to make a dash for freedom. His footsteps,
however, were not as noiseless as he had intended, and O'Hara whirled
just in time to see his q