“Elaine!” cried Arnold, catching sight of her in the hands of Del Mar.

Quickly, at the head of such men as he could muster, the hermit led a charge.

In the submarine the last man was waiting for Del Mar.  As the hermit ran forward with several soldiers between Del Mar and the submarine, it was evident that Del Mar would be cut off.

The man at the hatch climbed down into the boat.  It was useless to wait.  He banged shut and clamped the hatch.  Slowly the submarine began to sink.

Del Mar by this time had overcome Elaine and started to run toward the submarine with her.  But then he stopped short.

There was a queer figure of a hermit leading some soldiers.  He was cut off.

“Back into the office!” he growled, dragging Elaine.

He banged shut the door just as the hermit and the soldiers made a rush at him.  On the door they battered.  But it was in vain.  The door was locked.

In the office Del Mar hastily went to a corner, after barring the door, and lifted a trap-door in the floor, known only to himself.

Elaine did not move or make any attempt to escape, for Del Mar in addition to having a vicious looking automatic in his hand kept a watchful eye on her.

Outside the office, the soldiers, led by the hermit and Woodward continued to batter at the door.

“Now—­go down that stairway—­ahead of me,” ordered Del Mar.

Elaine obeyed tensely, and he followed into his emergency exit, closing the trap.

“Beat harder, men,” urged the hermit, as the soldiers battered at the door.

They redoubled their efforts and the door bent and swayed.

At last it fell in under the sheer weight of the blows.

“By George—­he’s gone—­with Elaine,” cried the hermit, looking at the empty office.

Feverishly they hunted about for a means of escape but could find none.

“Pound the floor and walls with the butts of your guns,” ordered Arnold.  “There must be some place that is hollow.”

They did so, going over all inch by inch.

Meanwhile, through the passage, along a rocky stairway, Del Mar continued to drive Elaine before him, up and ever up to the level of the land.

At last Elaine, followed by Del Mar, emerged from the rocky passage in a cleft in the cliffs, far above the promontory.

“Go on!” he ordered, forcing her to go ahead of him.

They came finally to a small hut on a cliff overlooking the real harbor.

“Enter!” demanded Del Mar.

Still meekly, she obeyed.

Del Mar seized her and before she knew it had her bound and gagged.

Down in the little office our men continued to search for the secret exit.

“Here’s a place that gives an echo,” shouted one of them.

As he found the secret trap and threw it open, the hermit stripped off the cumbersome diving-suit and jumped in, followed by Woodward, myself and the soldiers.