Malandris, who was a tall, elderly man, with grizzled hair and a worn, haggard-looking face, shook his head with a sigh, as he answered, ’That you should wonder, young sir, only shows that you must be a stranger hereabouts—one who knows not the master we serve, or what he is capable of.’ ’Hark! what is that?’ exclaimed Malto suddenly. ’I ’m afraid they ’ve got upon our track! Do you see that tower yonder?’ Before them lay a wide, grassy expanse, at the end of which was a sort of ornamental pavilion or small tower. ’That is the place we have to make for,’ he went on. ’If we can reach it, we shall be safe—at all events, for a time—till assistance comes. If necessary, we must run for it.’ As he spoke, the low murmur which he had noted behind them grew into a clamorous shouting, and a moment later a crowd of pursuers came running through the gateway they had so recently passed through. *CHAPTER XXIV.* *AT THE PAVILION.* ’You said a little while ago that you could run if needs were,’ said Malto, addressing Malandris. ’You must try now, at any rate. I will help you.’ ’I am quite recovered,’ was the answer. ’We must look after these young people.’ ’Oh, that I had my wings! Why did I leave them behind this morning!’ exclaimed Alondra. ’You may as well throw off those disguises,’ Malto advised. ’They are of no use now, and will only hamper you.’ As yet their pursuers were a long way off, for after the reconnoitre at the gateway the fugitives had stepped out briskly, and had covered nearly half the distance to the pavilion before the alarm had been given. They now set off at a run, after discarding their disguises, and at first it seemed as though there would be no difficulty in reaching the tower well ahead of their pursuers. Indeed, the latter seemed, at one time, to have almost given up the chase; for only a few were to be seen coming towards them; the rest had halted. A few moments later, however, the cause of the delay became clear. Suddenly a man rose in the air on motor-wings and began to sail rapidly towards them. He was armed with a trident. Convinced that he would easily effect the capture of the fugitives, who had, as could be seen, neither shields nor tridents, the remainder of the crowd followed quietly in the rear. They would be in plenty of time, they reckoned, to pick up the unconscious bodies when the man with the trident had dealt with them. Malto muttered something between his set teeth. ’I ’m afraid it is no use,’ said Malandris despondently, as he ran along beside the others. ’He is bound to overtake us, and we are all unarmed.’ ’Not quite,’ Jack answered. ’If they think we are, so much the better; it may give us a chance to get on equal terms with that flying chap. His trident is no good at more than twenty yards. We have something here which reaches farther than that.’