aining every effort, he tried to extricate himself before the deadly
current could sever the thread of life. Seconds seemed ages. Still he
tried.

With a mighty effort he strained every muscle of his gigantic chest and
the very straps that held him groaned from the force of his muscular
exertion. Even now the death-man was at the switch and it was barely a
question of seconds or heart-beats between him and death.

With a quick twist of his giant shoulder he threw his whole weight
against the chest strap and it parted. Lurching forward, he freed his
head and neck from the cruel straps, which snapped and parted.

The death-man paused for a fraction of a second to see what caused the
commotion in the chair. To that pause Locke owed his life. With a final
supreme effort he threw himself on the floor just as the knife-switch
swung into position and the wicked blue flame of death leaped across the
head electrodes.

Once freed, he catapulted himself across the room and with a vicious
upper-cut sent the emissary sprawling unconscious to the floor. Without
a thought of himself he rushed into the next room where Eva now stood in
panic, glued to the spot, in fear of the Frankenstein monster that would
crush her in its grasp.

With murderous mien the thing crossed the room slowly, until only the
table stood between her and destruction.

Like a wild animal Locke hurled himself into the room and with a master
stroke of quick wit flung the heavy oaken table over at the monster.
Then he seized Eva, and before the monster could turn in its tracks,
half dragged, half carried her from the room.

In the hall further difficulty confronted Locke, for the place was well
guarded. Several henchmen darted forth from dark corners of the murky
place and would have intercepted him.

As the first approached, Locke, with a quick jiu-jitsu thrust, hurled
him for a fall that would have broken the back of a less hardy man. The
next one was just turning the top of the stairs, and Locke, quick to
take advantage of the situation, adopted the only means of escape.

He seized the man bodily about the waist and, lifting him over his head,
threw him upon his other oncoming foe. The result was that the two were
flung down the stairs.

"Run!" he cried to Eva in a voice that was a command.

Without waiting he picked her up and carried her over the sprawling mass
of legs and arms to safety below.

Once outside, he felt a little embarrassed at having