gets started."

"Then I would advise you to keep away from him," said Hal.

The sound of footsteps outside the door prevented Robard from replying.
Levelling a revolver at the lads, he motioned them to be silent, and took
up a position at the side of the hall, where he would be concealed by the
door when it swung inward.

A hand turned the knob and the door swung back. Uncle John's face
appeared in the doorway. He saw Hal and Chester immediately and advanced
with a smile.

"So here you are," he said. "Your mothers--"

The sentence died on his lips as Robard, who had stepped quietly from
behind the door, brought the butt of his heavy revolver down upon his
head. Uncle John dropped to the floor like a log.

The action had been so sudden that neither Hal nor Chester had time to
give a cry of warning, though both would have done so, in spite of
Robard's command for them to remain quiet. As Uncle John fell, Chester
stepped forward, but he was confronted by the barrel of Robard's gun.

"Stand back," said the Austrian.

Chester obeyed. There was nothing else he could do in the face of certain
death should he refuse.

Now Robard called two of his men, and Uncle John was carried into an