oping around until his hand came in contact
with the edge of the fountain. For a moment he stood quietly, listening
for sounds of the emissaries. Then, as he heard nothing, he tore the
bandage from his eyes, gazed wonderingly around him until his mind
grasped his exact location, then, with a bound, started to run toward
Brent Rock.

Had he noticed the bestial face of an emissary peering from the
shrubbery he would have been even more frightened. Retribution, he would
have known, would be swift and sure had he disregarded their commands
and moved in another direction.

As Flint left the fountain Balcom, suave and well groomed as usual, was
just giving his hat and stick to the butler when Locke and Eva,
returning from Flint's room, encountered him in the hallway.

"Oh, Mr. Balcom," exclaimed Eva, "Mr. Locke and I are at a loss to
account for Mr. Flint's disappearance! I told the gardeners, and they
have hunted for him all over the estate and beyond, but he has
disappeared as completely as though the ground had swallowed him."

Balcom expressed his utmost astonishment and at once insisted on going
to Flint's room to solve the mystery himself.

Eva and Locke went directly into the library, where Locke for the first
time had an opportunity to tell Eva the result of his visit to the
chemist. The fact that they had discovered the nature of the toxin was
in itself encouraging, and Eva felt that, even now, she could see the
glimmer of a silver lining to the clouds.

"If we can only locate Mr. Flint, Quentin," she murmured, "I feel that
much would be explained."

Hardly had the words passed her lips when, breathless and disheveled,
Flint staggered up the stairs from under the porte-cochere and into the
hallway. Balcom, just descending from his brief inspection of Flint's
room, hailed him.

"What has happened?" he demanded. "Don't go into the library."

"I've just escaped from the Automaton," shouted Flint, "and I've found
the antidote!"

Before Balcom could stop him he rushed into the library, Balcom
following in a towering rage. Eva gave a startled little cry at the wild
intrusion and Locke moved closer to her.

"Is the antidote that will restore your father's reason worth ten
thousand dollars to you?" demanded Flint; then, before Eva could reply,
added: "Speak quick! I've got to get out of the country to-night."

"Ten thousand!" gasped Eva. "Ten times ten thousand! Tell me what it
is."

"Show me the money first