ly back and
forth through the air as they squealed and tugged strongly at their
restraining chains. On the right were stationed perhaps ten thousand
podokesons, their slender, yellow-shafted lances swaying like a
sapling forest in the distance. In the center were eleven thousand
protection infantry, green-crested and armed with compact tanks of
blue-maxima vapor, fungus bombs and swords. Behind them, and
corresponding to heavy infantry, were ranged some twenty thousand
blue-plumed hoplites, eagerly fingering the brazen hoses of their
death dealing portable retortii.

* * * * *

Nelson had no time to further study the array, for he whirled about as
from the Atlantean army arose a deep, horrified shout. He stood
paralyzed, his jaw slack. For there, waddling slowly forward, came the
most fantastic huge creature imaginable. Unspeakably repellent and
horrible, it stood on short legs thick as mature trees, to tower at
least thirty-five feet above the ground at the fore-shoulders! An
immense reptilian neck some twenty-five feet long weaved continuously
back and forth, while a surprisingly small, bullet-shaped head emitted
rumbling grunts.

"Great God!" gasped the horrified aviator, and felt the ground sway
under him. "It must be ninety feet long!"

Paralyzed by a dreadful fascination he watched the ungainly, hill-like
reptile shuffle ponderously forward and realized that, high on its
back, was fixed a small fort, rather like those howdahs or boxes which
are fastened to the backs of elephants. Chilled with the nearness of
death, Nelson counted six mail-clad warriors in the howdah. Then the
true import of the Jarmuthians evil jest struck him with full force.

"Six men, they said. And six men there are--but the treacherous devils
mounted them on that walking hill-side! Guess Altorius can kiss his
six girls good-by right now. Poor Alden! Well, I did my best--a rotten
trick."

* * * * *

At that moment he felt as an ant must feel on beholding the approach
of a human. It was terrifying, the inexorable advance of that
colossal, fantastic monster. From behind he could hear the infuriated
shouts of the Atlantean army. They knew even he could not hope to
withstand the murderous onslaught of the beast now entering the
duelling space.

On came the diplodocus, its vast warty tail trailing over the ground
and raising a heavy column of dust, while its mud smeared sides