Rapidly they traversed the gully, reached the main valley and peered out. No one was in sight. To the right were the two gullies, just as Valerie had described. Skirting closely the base of the mountain to keep as much as possible out of sight, they reached the entrance to the first gully and peered in. They saw several air-ships, but nothing else. On they kept and, a few moments later, had reached the second gully. Air-ships here, too, and, joyful sight, their own air-ship away back at the end there. The coast was evidently clear and they would reach it in a few minutes and be on board. How fresh and sweet the air smelled! How good it was to be free! They pushed on over the intervening space and had proceeded some fifty yards when around the stern of one of the air-ships before them a man came into sight. One glance at the burly figure and black beard was sufficient. It was the “Black Hawk.” They recognized him and, with an astonished shout, he as quickly recognized them. Instantly he advanced toward them. They were in a species of small clearing, with air-ships on all four sides. Mortimer halted. All his moodiness had disappeared. There was a strange light in his eyes and a smile upon his lips. He cast a rapid glance around him. There were no others in sight. Ah, God was good! There was the blue sky above their heads and the green grass beneath their feet and he and the “Black Hawk” were face to face. An instant more and he confronted them. A sword hung at his side and upon his left shoulder there glittered the gold star of an officer of the Army of the New Republic. “So,” he said, his black beard bristling, his eyes snapping with hatred, “so you dogs have escaped from your kennel, eh?” From Mortimer there came no reply. He stood gazing upon his enemy, the same peculiar light in his eyes and smile upon his lips. “But you’ll quickly march back again,” he continued, with a malignant snarl. “At least one of you. As for you, Mr. Fine Feathers, I am glad to see you are armed, for no blame can then be put upon me. Later, too, I’ll find out how all this happened. I suspect that heifer, Valerie, had a hand in this!” The words sealed his fate. For Valerie’s sake, the thought flashed through Mortimer’s mind, this man must not escape him. “Let me first pay my debt!” he exclaimed, and his long, sinuous arm shot out and struck Henry, with open palm, full in the face. The blow was so sharp and so sudden that Henry reeled. In an instant, however, he had recovered himself and his hand flew to his sword. Mortimer drew with equal celerity. They sprang together and their swords crossed.