ed over the pages until he found what he wanted. Then he
made an erasure and an entry and replaced the book in the drawer. Next
he called the servant.

"When she comes, you make her a prisoner," he directed. "Understand?"

The Madagascan nodded and raised one of Balcom's hands to his own
forehead as a sign of his fidelity.

Balcom went out and the servant stepped into the empty trunk to await
the arrival of Zita.

But it was a very different person with whom the Madagascan had to
contend in the end.

On leaving Dora's apartment, Zita telephoned Brent Rock, and Locke
answered immediately. Locke readily agreed to make the search of
Balcom's apartment in Zita's stead.

When the Madagascan heard a key in the door he stealthily peeped from
his hiding-place and saw, instead of Zita, Locke.

Locke's back was turned, and the Madagascan, undaunted, sprang from the
trunk and leaped, catlike, on Locke's back. But he had not reckoned on
his antagonist. Locke, always on guard, was not taken quite by surprise.
He caught the savage in a jiu-jitsu hold, throwing him over his head to
land in a far corner of the room.

In spite of the fall, the Madagascan bounded to his feet, like a rubber
ball, but a few stiff jabs from Locke soon took all the fight out of him
and he lay still, completely knocked out.

Locke made a hurried but systematic search of the room, and finally
found the book that he sought, taking it and returning to Eva at Brent
Rock.

After telephoning, Zita went directly to Doctor Q's laboratory, to which
she was admitted after he had seen her through his periscope
annunciator.

The doctor was fumbling with a test-tube, from which some heavy fumes
were issuing. He motioned her to a chair, near a table upon which were
many papers which looked to Zita as though they might be of importance.
Always quick to act, Zita raised her hand as if to arrange her hair, and
as she did so she purposely knocked the test-tube out of the doctor's
hand. The acid spattered on some of the papers, quickly setting them
afire.

Doctor Q, wildly excited, started to beat out the flames, and in so
doing allowed several unseared letters to flutter to the floor. One in
particular arrested Zita's attention. It was a drawing, a plan of some
sort, and was marked, "Plan of Den."

Zita placed her foot on it, and, while Doctor Q was engaged with the
small blaze, she reached down and, hastily folding it, thrust it into
one of the low shoes she