iffs. The Automaton
himself had turned toward the passage through the Graveyard of Genius to
Brent Rock itself.

Thus it happened that when the ambulance from Doctor Shaw's sanitarium
came bowling along the road to Brent Rock as fast as its motor would
permit, the driver was forced suddenly to put on the brakes to save
himself from being wrecked by a huge log that lay squarely across the
road.

No sooner had the attendants jumped out to remove the log than four
desperate men fell upon them from ambush, beat them, and left them
trussed up and unconscious, while they donned the jackets and uniforms
of Doctor Shaw's men, seized the ambulance, and swung off again at a
fast clip in the direction of Brent Rock.

Lulled into a false security, as her father slept now for a time under
an opiate, Eva was sitting beside him with loving care when she heard
the noise below of the arrival of the car from Doctor Shaw's sanitarium.
At once she was in wild alarm. Nor was Locke off his guard. While Zita
tried to reassure Eva, Locke met the men.

There were four of them, and as the first passed, Locke halted him. The
parley gave another a chance to push past, while Locke held three at
bay.

A moment later there was a scream from Eva, who had hurried from her
father's room at the sound of the high voices. The emissary had seized
her.

It was a signal for the other three, who leaped on Locke all at once.
With almost superhuman strength Locke seized one of them and flung him
over his head for a fall down the whole flight of steps as he fought the
other two single-handed.

Even then the third came back to the attack and Locke was forced to give
back step by step down the stairs.

Another scream from Eva.

In the heat of the fray Locke caught a glimpse of her battling on the
landing above with the first emissary. It gave him redoubled strength.

Flinging the two men off and eluding the third, he leaped to the
chandelier in the hall and with a giant swing wrapped his legs about the
fellow struggling with Eva. Literally throttling him, he pulled him
backward over the balcony railing for a fall clear to the lower hall.

At the moment when Locke was actually subduing all of his assailants the
door to the cellar suddenly opened and the huge figure of the Automaton
strode out.

With one blow of his steel fist the monster struck Locke senseless, then
turned and began ascending the grand staircase.

Almost paralyzed with fear, Eva sc