Chapter XVIII. TO HERMIT OR NOT TO HERMIT.

THREE days later, the last searching party of white-haired people came in from the desert, climbing the long ropes which had been lowered over the cliff. They were not particularly cheerful.

Three of Spad Ames' men, fellows left behind as lookouts, had escaped through the desert, it seemed.

These three were all that survived. Spad Ames, Locatella, the others, had died of cold in the great cavern, or in the pa.s.sages beyond.

Doc Savage listened to a translation of the report. He had picked up a few words of the language, but not enough to more than catch the gist of what was said.

Mark Colorado did not seem disappointed. "That should remove the last objection to your leaving here,"

he said. "The older men seemed to think we should go on trying to keep the existence of this valley a secret."

Pretty Ruth Colorado was not so enthusiastic. She nipped her lips, said finally: "We will hate very much to see you go."

Ham nudged Monk, whispered: "What she means is that she hates to see Doc go."

If the bronze man was aware of any particular feeling on the young woman's part, or if he had any thoughts of his own in that direction, he carefully refrained from showing them. His life work was dangerous; it allowed no feminine entanglements, for enemies would strike at him through anyone who became close to him. He stuck always to his determination: no women. It was not always easy, and not always was he entirely successful. The remarkable training which he had received from childhood at thehands of scientists had gone a long way toward making him a superb physical machine, but it had not succeeded in relieving him of human emotions.

Renny had a report: "We can rebuild that dam, but going in with electrically heated suits that will protect us against the cold. Or we can wait for a very dry season, when the river stops flowing, and build the dam again. That was the way it was constructed in the first place."

Doc had consulted at some length with the chief of the valley Indians. As he had suspected, they had planned to market the chemical commercially-that was the real reason for the presence of Mark and Ruth Colorado in Phenix Academy. It had been hoped the Colorados could develop suitable containers for the stuff, using Phenix laboratory facilities, and later arrange marketing facilities.

After some argument, Doc's proposition was accepted. The chemical product would be marketed through an organization which the bronze man could arrange. If possible, no outsiders would be allowed to enter the valley, as long as the inhabitants so wished.

Part of the preparations which Doc and his aids made before leaving consisted of another argument-this one about whether the prisoners in the valley should be permitted to leave.

Doc finally won out.

Then they learned that the prisoners did not care about leaving.

The old-timer expressed it the most coherently.

"I don't see where I'd be any better off outside," he said. "Dag nab it, they got right tolerable-lookin'

squaws here, you gotta admit. And I got me one picked out."

"You want to stay?" Monk asked.

"Thanks, gents, but figger I will."

Monk had been looking over the native femininity rather intensively, and he understood how the old-timer felt.

"You know," Monk said, "I think you got somethin' there."

THE END.