Calling them to her, Lylda spoke to the youth and the girl in her native tongue. They listened quietly; Oteo with an almost expressionless stolidity of face, but with his soft, dog-like eyes fixed upon his mistress; Eena with heaving breast and trembling limbs. When Lylda paused they both fell upon their knees before her. She put her hands upon their heads and smiling wistfully, said in English: "So it shall be; with me you shall go, because that is what you wish." The Very Young Man looked around at them all with satisfaction. "Then it's all settled," he said, and again his glance fell on Aura. He wondered why his heart was pounding so, and why he was so thrilled with happiness; and he was glad he was able to speak in so matter-of-fact a tone. "I don't know how about you," he added, "but, Great Scott, I'm hungry." "Since we have decided to go," the Chemist said, "we had better start as soon as possible. Are there things in the house, Lylda, that you care to take?" Lylda shook her head. "Nothing can I take but memories of this world, and those would I rather leave." She smiled sadly. "There are some things I would wish to do--my father----" "It might be dangerous to wait," the Big Business Man put in hurriedly. "The sooner we start, the better. Another encounter would only mean more death." He looked significantly at the beach. "We've got to eat," said the Very Young Man. "If we handle the drugs right," the Chemist said, "we can make the trip out in a very short time. When we get above the forest and well on our way we can rest safely. Let us start at once." "We've got to eat," the Very Young Man insisted. "And we've got to have food with us." The Chemist smiled. "What you say is quite true, Jack, we have got to have food and water; those are the only things necessary to our trip." "We can make ourselves small now and have supper," suggested the Very Young Man. "Then we can fill up the bottles for our belts and take enough food for the trip." "No, we won't," interposed the Big Business Man positively. "We won't get small again. Something might happen. Once we get through the tunnels----" He stopped abruptly. "Great Scott! We never thought of that," ejaculated the Very Young Man, as the same thought occurred to him. "We'll have to get small to get through the tunnels. Suppose there's a mob there that won't let us in?" "Is there any other way up to the forest?" the Doctor asked. The Chemist shook his head. "There are a dozen different tunnels, all near here, and several at Orlog, that all lead to the upper surface. But I think that is the only way." "They might try to stop us," the Big Business Man suggested. "We certainly had better get through them as quickly as we possibly can."