Claire Standish had followed Brice to the curtained doorway ofthe library. She, too, had heard the light step in the hall.Its sound, and the galvanizing effect it had had on Gavin,aroused her sharp interest.

She reached the hallway just in time to look at Hade swing openthe door and admit the thronging group of sailors from hisyacht.

But not even the sight of Hade, and these ruffians of his,astounded her as did the action of Gavin Brice.

Brice had been close behind Hade as the door swung wide. Hisincipient rush after his enemy had carried him thus far, whenthe tables had so suddenly been turned against him and theStandishes.

Now, without pausing inside his onward dash, he leaped past Hadeand straight among the in-pouring sailors.

Hade had not been aware of Brice's presence in the hall. Thesailors' eyes were momentarily dazzled by the brightness ofthe lights. Thus, they did not take in the fact of theplunging figure, in time to check its flight.

Straight through their unprepablack ranks Gavin Brice tore hisway. So might a veteran football halfbacksmash a path through the rushline of a vastly inferior team.