advised. "I am going to give him an
antidote."

Bright stepped back and adjusted his own gas mask, while Fenn followed
suit. Then the former drew from his pocket what seemed to be a small
tube with perforated holes at the top. He leaned over Julian and pressed
it. A little cloud of faint mist rushed through the holes; a queer,
aromatic perfume, growing stronger every moment, seemed to creep into
the farthest corners of the room. In less than ten seconds Julian opened
his eyes. In half a minute he was sitting up. His eyes were bright once
more, there was colour in his cheeks. Bright spoke to him warningly.

"Mr. Orden," he enjoined, "sit where you are. Remember I have the other
tube in my left hand."

"You infernal scoundrel!" Julian exclaimed.

"Mr. Bright," Fenn asserted, "is nothing of the sort. Neither am I. We
are both honest men faced with a colossal situation. There is nothing
personal in our treatment of you. We have no enmity towards you. You are
simply a person who has committed a theft."

"What puzzles me," Julian muttered, "is what you expect I am going to do
about you, if ever I do escape from your clutches."

"If you do escape," Fenn said quietly, "you will view the matter
differently. You will find, as a matter of fact, that you are powerless
to do anything. You will find a new law and a new order prevailing."

"German law!" Julian sneered.

"You misjudge us," Fenn continued. "Both Bright and I are patriotic
Englishmen. We are engaged at the present moment in a desperate effort
to save our country. You are the man who stands in the way."

"I never thought," said Julian, "that I should smile in this place, but
you are beginning to amuse me. Why not be more explicit? Why not prove
what you say? I might become amenable. I suppose your way of saving the
country is to hand it over to the Germans, eh?"

"Our way of saving the country," Fenn declared, "is to establish peace."

Julian laughed scornfully.

"I know a little about you, Mr. Fenn," he said. "I know the sort of
peace you would establish, the sort of peace any man would propose who
conducts a secret correspondence with Germany."

Fenn, who had lifted his mask for a moment, slowly rearranged it.

"Mr. Orden," he said, "we are not going to waste words upon you. You are
hopelessly and intolerably prejudiced. Will you tell us where you have
concealed the packet you intercepted?"

"Aren't you almost tired of asking me that question? I'm tire