Along toward night the absentees returned from the village, bringing provision, but scarcely any news except that the place was seething with suppressed excitement, and that they had succeeded in getting into the radio station and “pying” the apparatus. “Let us start then at once,” Buh Tedn counseled. “No one can now get word to Yuri, and perhaps they will mistake us for a Hymernian, anyhow.” But impatient as he was, Myles would hear none of this. “They could easily dispatch a runner to some near-by town to send the message from there,” he said. “Furthermore, a plane looks very little like a whistling bee.” So the group feasted, and waited until the last streaks of red had died in the west, before they shot into the air and southward. The plane was driven to its utmost, but it was later than 1:00 o’clock before the lights of Kuana loomed ahead. Turning to the right, Cabot skirted the city and landed near the arsenal. Nan-nan promptly left them. “I have church affairs to attend to,” he explained. “Great are the ramifications of the lost religion,” the earth-man replied, laughing, “and I hope that you pick up some useful information.” After the young cleric had gone Buh Tedn asked: “Surely you don’t plan for us to attack the arsenal? It is heavily guarded by the only men whom Yuri permits to carry fire-arms in this entire kingdom.” XXV ALL KINDS OF TROUBLE “We must reconnoiter first,” Cabot replied, “for as yet I have no definite plans.” Accordingly they made their way to a grove of trees near the arsenal. Where they stood they were completely enveloped by foliage and tropical darkness, but the arsenal was in a flood of light which emanated from large floodlights on poles a short distance outside the surrounding wall. Along the top of the high wall walked sentinels armed with rifles. Cabot quickly formed his plans. Turning his rifle and bandoleer over to the best shot in the party, he instructed the sharpshooter as follows: “When I raise my hand so, then shoot the sentinel to whom I am talking. Follow that by a shot at the nearest light. Then, under cover of the darkness, slink across the plain and join me at the wall.” Without any further explanation he walked boldly out into the light. As he approached the arsenal there rang out the cry of “Halt!” He halted. “Who is there?” “Not so loud!” he cautioned. “You see I am unarmed. Let me approach near the wall so that I may explain my mission, which is for your antennae alone.” The sentinel signified his assent, and Cabot drew nearer. “Halt!” The Cupian on the wall repeated, but this time in a low tone. Cabot halted again, this time almost directly under the light. “Stand where you are,” said the soldier, “while I let down a ladder. Make any attempt to flee, and I shall fire.”