It was easy enough for the Gregory party to find the magic island of Euclidia, but it seems impossible for them to leave it. When Jerry and Joan rendered most of the equipment on the island useless, and the chemical formula of Captain Bradford's put many of the Euclideans to sleep, the Gregory boat left the island in safety. However, they ran out of fuel oil after an hour's run, and a drum of oil left floating on their course proved to be not oil but turpentine. So the helpless boat heaves too, and is standing by now to be boarded and towed back to Euclidia by a submarine. Jerry and Joan, Mrs. Gregory, and Captain Bradford stand at the rail, waiting for the submarine. But I tell you that woman's submarine commander is a good friend of ours. Yeah, but don't be too sure of that, Jerry. She's coming out to capture us, isn't she? That is something she cannot refuse to do, Captain Bradford. Her safety and any value she might have as a friend lie in the fact that the Euclideans do not suspect her. I think that's reasonable enough, Tex. And I'm not so sure, Pat. Well, we haven't any choice. We're going to be towed back to G-47 and his mad colony, and I for one have no interest in the person who takes us back. Oh, you mustn't feel so hopeless, Mrs. Gregory. Why, that girl let the gas and the chemical laboratory put her to sleep just so she could help us before. Maybe she'll find some way to help us again. You are right, Jerry. Commander S-1 will aid us again if the opportunity presents itself. Yeah, but I've got a notion that after the way we handled him, old G-47 is going to make it his business to see that no such opportunity gets a chance to present itself. I wonder how close the sub was when she called us on the radio. Would there be any way of knowing that, Tex? No, and it wouldn't do any good if we did know. Thinking about getting a last-minute message to Johnson, weren't you, Jerry? Yeah, I thought we might as well try it. That would be of no help, Jerry. Johnson is too far away to come to our assistance now. Yeah, not only that, but the batteries are so weak the set probably won't work more than a few miles. Johnson might be trying to call us, though. Don't you think one of us should stay in the cabin with the radio? Well, I'll go in if you want me to, sir. And I will go with you, Jerry. Okay, Joan, come on. Hold it a minute. Yeah? You and I'll stay here by this landing stage, kid. Let Joan and her mother go in the cabin and listen to the set. They can watch the sub through the porthole. It might be just as well for our party to be split up at this time. Tex, what do you expect? Oh, anything from these crazy euclidians. But it's just possible Jerry and I might see something to be done. I think that is well, Mother. We will go. You must be diplomatic, Jerry, and do nothing to irritate the commander. You'll be careful, won't you, Tex? Why, sure, honey. Don't worry. Go with Joan. Hey, what do you think we can do when the submarine gets ready to board us? Nothing, son. Not a thing. But I'm not sure what kind of treatment we expect from the crew of this submarine. And if anything not so good happens, just as well to have Joan and Pat out of the way. Now look, Tex, I know that girl's on our side, and there's no use worrying about it. She runs that boat all alone with a one-man crew, and he'll have to stay with the boat. So she'll come aboard here alone, and she won't do anything to hurt us. You mean she did run the boat alone when you and Joan rode in the submarine with her. But G-47 and his scientists will be plenty sore now. There may be a half a dozen up on that boat. Oh, what could they do to us? They could decide that it was just a waste of time to tow this boat back to the Magic Island. You mean they'd sink the boat? Yeah, and they'd forget to take us off of it before they sunk it. Gee whiz. But your formula, Tex, they can't do anything to you until they get the formula. I'm not entirely sure they haven't got it. Oh, they couldn't have it. We know Johnson got the message off the pigeons we sent, and that's, hey, the boat's rocking a whole lot more. Yes, I think your girlfriend and her submarine are playing around under us here somewhere now. Golly, whiskers. There it is, Tex. There's the nose of the sub. Yes, sir. Sticking straight up out of the water. I could almost reach out and touch it. Better not. They'll be throwing open the port and the nose of it in a minute, and that thing's plenty heavy. Look how it stands there, Jerry. Steady as a rock. Those Euclideans certainly know their stabilization principles. I think I heard a noise inside the nose of that thing. We must be ready to open it. I think we should get out of here. We're going to have to get out of here. Boy, look at that. The whole end of it opens up. They sure hit that landing stage neatly. Here comes the commander. You were right, Jerry. She is one of the most beautiful girls I ever saw. Well, we'd better help her up to the landing stage. That will not be necessary. I personally stabilized the submarine. At this point, I can easily step to the landing stage. I'll get the independence, isn't she? She's coming aboard alone, too. What did I tell you? I hope you're right. Sorry we can't offer you more hospitality, commander, but we're rather helpless here. You need not apologize, Captain Bradford. I would hardly expect more from one who would attempt such a foolhardy escape as yours. Well, we forget it was worth trying. Welcome to the ill-fated boat, commander. The ill fate of this boat is only in the contemplative stage now. I got that one. You mean old G-47 hasn't had time yet to figure out anything mean enough to do to us. For one who speaks such a strange jargon as you, Hall, your understanding is surprising at times. Oh, I'm all here. Enough of this. You understand what must happen, Captain? I'm afraid I do. You are to tow us to the island and again we will be prisoners. Exactly. But there is more. This time you will not be able to escape. You previously enjoyed. You will be prisoners, in fact. You mean we'll be put in those confinement cells? Precisely. Well, it will surprise me pleasantly if that's the worst that happens to us. That will be only the beginning. Where are Mrs. Gregory and Cleostra? Oh, Mrs. Gregory and Joan are in the radio cabin. Will you take me to them at once? We have little time. Might I ask what you want to see them about? I have a few questions. I have little time. Might I ask what you want to see them about? I wish to explain to them that they will accompany me in the submarine. And I wish to explain to them privately. You're going to take Pat and Joan with you in the sub? And the captain and I stay here while you drag this boat in by the anchor? Precisely. Will you hurry and take me to them? No use arguing, Tex. She'd use that ray gun in a minute. And if anything happened to her, well, old SC1 out there and the sub would finish us. I was thinking of something else. Take the commander to the radio cabin, Jerry. And give orders to Mack and the skipper. Okay, if you say so. This way, Commander. Watch your step on this deck. We've got a couple of pounds of canvas around here. Hurry, Hall. I will need no guide. Well, I guess you're never too old to learn. Skipper, MacLeod. Aye, Captain. Come here a minute, will you? I've just been waiting for a chance to come over and ask you if it's real or not. That sub? It's real enough all right. Aye. And it just stands there with its nose out of the water... while the girl captain looks out of a boat over there. This is a mad business, Captain Bradford. That's mild, Mac. But here's the orders for the next step. All right, Captain. Now, we're to be towed back to Euclidia by that sub. They'll submerge and level it off. Then pick up our bow anchor... with a magnetic fin in the stern of that thing. All we can do is to stand by and wait for results. And when we get to the island, what then? That's what we can only guess at. But I wanted to warn you... that once we're on the island, do just as you're told. Aye. And say nothing. Aye. I understand all that right. Well, that's all, Mac. Relay that to Skipper, will you? Aye, aye, sir. I will that. And if you don't understand it any better than I do, we both... Well, I can't say I blame you much. Oh, hello, Commander, leaving us so soon. I will return immediately to my command. The ladies are going to accompany me. It may afford me an opportunity to give them a bit of advice. Please see that they join me as quickly as possible. G-47 will be very impatient. Okay, Commander, I'll hurry them along. Hurry, Joan, dear. Coming, Mother. The Commander's waiting for you, Pat. I know it. But there were one or two little things... I had to do before leaving. I'm all ready now, Mother. Is Jerry not here yet? I thought the kid was with you. The Commander sent him to your cabin for something. He will explain after we're gone. Oh, Tex, I... I'm so afraid of all this. Well, keep your chin up, Pat. We'll be seeing you on the island in a couple of hours. Yes, Mother. There is nothing to worry about. And we must hurry. The Commander is motioning us to come aboard the submarine. Come then, Joan, dear. We'll have to make the best of it. And goodbye, Tex. Remember, Pat. Chin up. Good luck. Thank you, Captain. Well, there she goes. I wonder where all this will end. Hey, Tex. Yes, Jerry. Hurry up. The sub is submerging. You'd better come here a minute. I got something to show you. All right, son. Hold it there. I'm coming. I'm around here in the radio cabin, Tex. I'm sorry I had to yell at you to come here, but I was afraid to be seen around on that side of the boat. What's it all about, kid? Well, I think we'd better shut the cabin door. We can't do any good by watching the top of the water anyhow. You sound mighty mysterious. Well, there it is. What's on your mind? Well, look. Now, you know Joan and I had a couple of those Euclidean five-minute ray guns? And those two big ones we took off the guards? Yes, I know. What about them? Well, that girl, Commander, brought us some of the little cylinders you slip inside them. Kind of like a, you know, reload. She did, huh? Well, have you got them all fixed up now? Yeah. Here they are. We'd better keep them hidden in our clothes. The Commander was supposed to take them away from us. Well, what excuse can she offer for not having them when we get back to the island? Well, she said she could think of some excuse by the time we got there. Sounds like the submarine must be hooked onto our bow anchor. Yeah. The boat's beginning to roll a little. I guess we'll make it to the island in a couple of hours. Yeah, and with these ray guns, Jerry, we've got a chance to do something after we get on the island. But listen, we'll have to watch our step. The Commander said to leave that guard tied up where we've got him till we get to the island. Yeah, a lot of good he did us. Couldn't get a word out of him. Well, we might have if we could have had only taken him farther from a... Hey, Tex, the boat's listening pretty bad. Yeah, I guess that bow anchor line is straining crooked. No, something funny's going on here. What's up, Skipper? Listing. Yeah, I just noticed it. That anchor pulling crooked? No. What's wrong, then? Leaking. This boat's leaking? Aye. What from? Hole. We're shipping water through a hole? How did a hole get in this boat? Chop. Who could have done it? Prisoner. That youplitian guard got loose. Well, where is he now? Gone. Golly, whistlers.
