round towards Thomas Roch, and before he can see me I examine
him attentively.

His serious, thoughtful physiognomy is no longer that of a madman. He
walks slowly, with his eyes bent on the ground, and under his arm a
drawing-board upon which is stretched a sheet of paper covered with
designs.

Suddenly he raises his head, advances a step and recognizes me.

"Ah! Gaydon, it is you, is it?" he cries, "I have then escaped from
you! I am free!"

He can, indeed, regard himself as being free--a good deal more at
liberty in Back Cup than he was in Healthful House. But maybe my
presence evokes unpleasant memories, and will bring on another fit,
for he continues with extraordinary animation:

"Yes, I know you, Gaydon.--Do not approach me! Stand off! stand off!
You would like to get me back in your clutches, incarcerate me again
in your dungeon! Never! I have friends here who will protect me. They
are powerful, they are rich. The Count d'Artigas is my backer and
Engineer Serko is my partner. We are going to exploit my invention! We
are going to make my fulgurator! Hence! Get you gone!"

Thomas Roch is in a perfect fury. He raises his voice, agitates his
arms, and finally pulls from his pockets many rolls of dollar bills
and banknotes, and handfuls of English, French, American and German
gold coins, which slip through his fingers and roll about the cavern.

How could he get all this money except from Ker Karraje, and as the
price of his secret? The noise he makes attracts a number of men to
the scene. They watch us for a moment, then seize Thomas Roch and drag
him away. As soon as I am out of his sight he ceases-to struggle and
becomes calm again.

_July 27._--Two hours after meeting with Thomas Roch, I went down to
the lagoon and walked out to the edge of the stone jetty.

The tug is not moored in its accustomed place, nor can I see it
anywhere about the lake. Ker Karraje and Engineer Serko had not gone
yesterday, as I supposed, for I saw them in the evening.

To-day, however, I have reason to believe that they really have gone
away in the tug with Captain Spade and the crew of the _Ebba_, and
that the latter must be sailing away.

Have they set out on a piracy expedition? Very likely. It is equally
likely that Ker Karraje, become once more the Count d'Artigas,
travelling for pleasure on board his yacht, intends to put into some
port on the American coast to procure the substances necessary to the
preparation of Ro