Then using the cape as a blanket, Comstock swathed the madman in its folds. Next, when Pat returned with some rope they wound it around and around the man till he was completely bound. Then, and only then, did Comstock turn and look across the distance that separated them from Bowdler's house and safety. The sun was well up now, which was good in that it shortened their waiting time, but was bad since it meant that the R.A.'s would be out on patrol in full force. Pat, standing at his side, voiced his thoughts when she said, "Isn't there some way that we could signal to your friends so that we need not wait out here till noon?" "The big danger to be avoided is that the R.A.'s may see us and so suspect the house." Below them, the Picaroon rolled his head back and forth angrily. This was the only part of him that he could move. He said, "So you _were_ spies!" He spat. "I should have known. Always should the master criminal work alone. All the text books I have read make that point. It serves me right for not being a lone mink ... or wolf or whatever the earth word is." Comstock paid no attention to his grumbling as he tried to assay the situation. They could not endanger the safety of the house by just walking into view of one of the windows and waving to capture the attention of Grundy or Helen. If an R.A. were to see that... Since that was impossible, what were their chances of being unobserved for ... looking up at the sun he tried to estimate how long it would be before noon. Perhaps two hours yet. Putting his arm around Pat's waist he said, "Let's get as close to the force field as we can so that when it is lifted we can just make a dash for the house." "And take a chance of being seen by an R.A.?" That was right. When Bowdler told him to come back to the house at noon or midnight, he had had no way of knowing just how badly the R.A.'s would be wanting to get hold of Pat and Comstock. It hardly seemed possible to Comstock that so little time had passed since he had left the house and safety the day before to go hunting for an unknown girl. He gulped as he realized what the tenor of his thinking meant. He said plaintively, "You mean we'll have to wait till midnight before we dare go to the house?" She nodded. Then, as one person they turned and looked down at the Picaroon. It would be unfair to keep the poor lunatic tied up the way he was for at least fourteen more hours... The Picaroon was mumbling to himself, "You are who you are, if you think you are..." Blinking thoughtfully, Comstock turned to Pat and said, "You know, that's a very interesting question. I'd like to think about it for a while." "While you're thinking about it, darling, devote a little of your brain power to figuring out where we're going to get food and water to last us till midnight..." The madman's words pounded at Comstock's brain washing away the reality of what the girl had said. "But how do you know you are?" That was a very interesting question.