edging sideways. "He's a highly carnivorous fellow."
The giant mantis adjusted its course so that it was still heading right for her.
The enormous creature had assumed the bent, supplicating posture which gave it its name. The praying position which always proceeded the mantis's attack on its prey.
Turning her back on the thing, Jan ran.
It straightened and came shambling after her.
The girl was several yards ahead of the pursuing mantis when her anide got caught in a loop of ground-running vine. Her body jerked, then she fell straight forward, landing hard among some nettles. The sharp thorns dug into her bare arms as she twisted round to face the approaching carnivorous mantis.
"Darn it," said Jan. "No gun and very little chance to run."
She began to shout at the insect while she fought to disentangle herself from the prickly vines all around her. "Go away, darn you!"
The mantis was praying once again, preparing to make a spiky grab at her.
A second later the gigantic insect stiffened, snapped upright to its full six-foot length. Its antennae drooped. It started to rock from side to side. A few seconds more and the mantis toppled over to lie dead in the thorns.
57
Jan saw the Phantom standing immediately behind the spot where the praying mantis had been. In his powerful hands he held his spear. "Remind me," said Jan, "to get the recipe for that poison."
"I don't think Guran will part with it." The masked man reached out a hand to her. "Careful now; easy does it."
"How'd you get here?"
"Heard you shouting."
Jan, on her feet, brushed back her blonde hair and examined the tears in her blouse. "I'm glad," she said.
"And what are you up to, Doctor Love?"
The girl took a deep breath before answering. "I was coming to find you."
"Why, what's the trouble?"
Jan said, "It's incredible, but somehow two men walked into our camp this morning. Two men with guns."
"What? How did they get here?"
"Copter," answered Jan. "Don't get your hopes up, though; their ship crashed, too."
"You wouldn't be running from a Jungle Patrol rescue team," said the Phantom. "Who are these men?"
"Their names are. . . Silvera and Tinn. Silvera is a small, swarthy, nasty man, the other one's a pudgy Chinese. I think they said they worked for a man named. . . named Barber."
The Phantom nodded. "Yes, I've heard of Barber, and some of his activities. Why would a crook like Barber be interested in a scientific project such as yours?"
"Apparently this Barber has the notion we came down here to find the treasure of ."
"He sent these two to hijack you?"
"Yes," said Jan. "But not only that. He hired Gabe to be a-well, a spy for him."
"So that's why Gabe kept wondering why you weren't looking for treasure."
"Wait though." She put her hand on his arm. "I think Gabe has had a change of heart."
"How so?"
"Well, you see, the little one, Silvera, got the idea he'd find out where the treasure was if he hit me a few times."
The Phantom's fingers tightened into fists. "He did, did he?"
"That made Karl and Gabe unhappy," continued Jan. "Gabe, being supposedly on their side, had a 58
gun. Well, what he did was shoot Silvera and tell me to run for it."
The Phantom asked, "So how many do we have to woriy about encountering in the camp?"
"I'm not sure. Silvera was hurt, but still had control of his Winchester when I left. Which could mean there are still two armed men there."
"Or possibly three if Gabe's had another change of heart."
"I don't think so. I think he's on our side for good now."
"We'll soon find out," the Phantom told her.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Colonel Weeks came pounding down the front steps of the Jungle Patrol headquarters building. A tall black man in the uniform of the Mawitaan police was approaching up the path. "Any news, Lieutenant Kiwanda?" called out the colonel.
"I think perhaps, yes," answered the police lieutenant.
"You know where Sergeant Barnum is?" The sergeant had not
The giant mantis adjusted its course so that it was still heading right for her.
The enormous creature had assumed the bent, supplicating posture which gave it its name. The praying position which always proceeded the mantis's attack on its prey.
Turning her back on the thing, Jan ran.
It straightened and came shambling after her.
The girl was several yards ahead of the pursuing mantis when her anide got caught in a loop of ground-running vine. Her body jerked, then she fell straight forward, landing hard among some nettles. The sharp thorns dug into her bare arms as she twisted round to face the approaching carnivorous mantis.
"Darn it," said Jan. "No gun and very little chance to run."
She began to shout at the insect while she fought to disentangle herself from the prickly vines all around her. "Go away, darn you!"
The mantis was praying once again, preparing to make a spiky grab at her.
A second later the gigantic insect stiffened, snapped upright to its full six-foot length. Its antennae drooped. It started to rock from side to side. A few seconds more and the mantis toppled over to lie dead in the thorns.
57
Jan saw the Phantom standing immediately behind the spot where the praying mantis had been. In his powerful hands he held his spear. "Remind me," said Jan, "to get the recipe for that poison."
"I don't think Guran will part with it." The masked man reached out a hand to her. "Careful now; easy does it."
"How'd you get here?"
"Heard you shouting."
Jan, on her feet, brushed back her blonde hair and examined the tears in her blouse. "I'm glad," she said.
"And what are you up to, Doctor Love?"
The girl took a deep breath before answering. "I was coming to find you."
"Why, what's the trouble?"
Jan said, "It's incredible, but somehow two men walked into our camp this morning. Two men with guns."
"What? How did they get here?"
"Copter," answered Jan. "Don't get your hopes up, though; their ship crashed, too."
"You wouldn't be running from a Jungle Patrol rescue team," said the Phantom. "Who are these men?"
"Their names are. . . Silvera and Tinn. Silvera is a small, swarthy, nasty man, the other one's a pudgy Chinese. I think they said they worked for a man named. . . named Barber."
The Phantom nodded. "Yes, I've heard of Barber, and some of his activities. Why would a crook like Barber be interested in a scientific project such as yours?"
"Apparently this Barber has the notion we came down here to find the treasure of ."
"He sent these two to hijack you?"
"Yes," said Jan. "But not only that. He hired Gabe to be a-well, a spy for him."
"So that's why Gabe kept wondering why you weren't looking for treasure."
"Wait though." She put her hand on his arm. "I think Gabe has had a change of heart."
"How so?"
"Well, you see, the little one, Silvera, got the idea he'd find out where the treasure was if he hit me a few times."
The Phantom's fingers tightened into fists. "He did, did he?"
"That made Karl and Gabe unhappy," continued Jan. "Gabe, being supposedly on their side, had a 58
gun. Well, what he did was shoot Silvera and tell me to run for it."
The Phantom asked, "So how many do we have to woriy about encountering in the camp?"
"I'm not sure. Silvera was hurt, but still had control of his Winchester when I left. Which could mean there are still two armed men there."
"Or possibly three if Gabe's had another change of heart."
"I don't think so. I think he's on our side for good now."
"We'll soon find out," the Phantom told her.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Colonel Weeks came pounding down the front steps of the Jungle Patrol headquarters building. A tall black man in the uniform of the Mawitaan police was approaching up the path. "Any news, Lieutenant Kiwanda?" called out the colonel.
"I think perhaps, yes," answered the police lieutenant.
"You know where Sergeant Barnum is?" The sergeant had not
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