on him.

A stinging shock reached him through the metal, flinging him to the
ground. He rolled out of its range and leaped to his feet to race away
from there. Then, with a gasp, he flattened his body back against the
wall of the dome building.

He was in the enclosure that held the gigantic, lizard-like thing that
had nearly got him on his escape from the tower room.

He wheeled frantically to go back and face the Rogan death-tubes.
Anything rather than wait while that mammoth heap of tiny-brained
ferocity ran him down and tore him to shreds! But even as he turned,
he heard the bolt shoot home on the inside of the door; heard vengeful
squeals of triumph from his pursuers.

* * * * *

At the other end of the enclosure, near the foot of the tower
building, the great lizard eyed him unblinkingly, its tremendous jaws
gaping to reveal a cavernous mouth that was hideously lined with
bright orange colored membrane. Then, squatting lower with every step
it took, like a mountainous cat about to spring on its prey, it began
to stalk on its tree-like legs toward the tiny creature that had
leaped into its yard with it.

Brand whirled this way and that, mechanically seeking a way out. There
was none. The walls of the great enclosure were not like the wall of
the tower. Here were no rough hewn stones, with protruding ridges of
mortar set between. These walls were as smooth as glass, and just as
smooth was the curved wall of the dome building behind him.

The monstrous beast stalked nearer, almost on its belly now. As it
advanced, the great tail stirred up a cloud of reddish dust, and left
behind it a round deep depression in a surface already crisscrossed
with a multitude of similar depressions. A bellowing hiss came from
its gaping mouth, and it increased its pace to a thunderous, waddling
rush.

CHAPTER IX

_Into the Enclosure_

In the torture chamber Dex wavered slowly back to consciousness to get
the growing impression that he was being immersed in a bath of liquid
fire. Burning, intolerable pain assailed him with increasing intensity
as his senses clarified.

At last he groaned and opened his eyes, for the moment not knowing
where he was nor how he had come to be there. He saw strange torture
instruments and tall monstrosities with pumpkin-shaped heads
surrounding him closely in a semicircle, and staring at him out of
great, dull eyes.

Remembrance came back with a rush,