e gruesome
place. There still remained a small hole through which he must climb.
But he negotiated it successfully, and in another moment he was
aboveground and free.

Eva and Zita had followed Locke's instructions, but had not waited to
find any one to go with them to the exit from the den. Nor did they wait
at the exit more than a few minutes.

Eva had taken a small electric torch with her, and, becoming impatient
at the non-appearance of Locke, she flashed it about as she followed the
lines and marks indicated on the plan of the den.

She and Zita were surprised at the magnitude of the entrance passageway
they uncovered. They had had to make a detour in order to reach the
beach at a point where it was indicated that the exit of the den would
be found, and even with the plan, which they consulted at every step,
they almost missed their objective, for the cleft in the rocks slanted
inward and was difficult to see even when one was standing directly in
front of it.

They had peered into the cavern and were waiting when they heard the
explosion. They gazed at each other questioningly and with apprehension.

"What do you think it is?" asked Eva, questioningly.

Zita could, of course, offer no explanation and did not try.

Impulsively both girls took a very foolish chance. Both had thought of
Locke and they started to run into the cave entrance and toward the
sound of the explosion.

Zita was in the lead, and it was at this moment that the panic-stricken
emissaries came tumbling and fighting their way from the den. Zita
shrieked to Eva to save herself, and Eva, although unwilling to leave
her, knew that now she could do nothing to save Zita, and took her only
chance of escape.

As for Zita, the emissaries were too frightened to pay any attention to
her. But behind them came the iron monster, without nerves, it seemed.
The Automaton saw her and pinned her to the rock wall until she was
unconscious. Then, picking her up as though she were a feather, it
carried her out to the beach.

Locke, the moment he freed himself from the hole which had so nearly
been his grave, ran staggering toward the beach, for he felt
instinctively that Eva and Zita were in danger.

Eva and Locke must have started at about the same time, she in her
flight away from the Automaton, and Locke to find the den exit, for they
met on the cliffside.

"Thank God you are safe!" exclaimed Eva.

Locke impulsively threw his arms about her and ki