th the strength of despair. There came
a resonant clang as blade and barrel encountered each other. Steel is
ever stronger than bronze, so Nelson had the satisfaction of seeing
the Jarmuthian's sword blade break squarely in two near the hilt.

Horrified, the black bearded warrior glanced at the empty hilt in his
hand but, courageous to the end, sprang in like a tiger to grapple
with that small, agile man in khaki and serge.

"You would--eh?" gasped Nelson.

Putting all his strength behind a blow he whirled up the heavy
Winchester, struck out and felt the solid walnut stock smash fair and
square on the conical helmet. Like an eggshell the bronze helm broke
and the six-pointed star above went spinning off into the dust. As a
tree sways before it falls beneath a forester's ax, so the dark
Jarmuthian giant tottered, while the wide dusty plain of Poseidon
echoed with a rumbling, incredulous shout.

"There," choked Nelson, incredulous to be still alive, "I guess
that'll be about all for to-day."

But he was wrong. From the ranks of Jarmuth rose a terrible, ominous
cry and at the same time there broke out the sibilant hiss of a
thousand retortii. From the Atlantean army came an answering yell and
Nelson turned to race back to the shelter of Altorius' body-guard,
pausing but to arouse the terrified hostages. Swiftly he cast loose
their bonds and pointed to the nearest detachment of Atlanteans.
Sobbing with joy the six girls fled for dear life just as the first of
the allosauri went racing over the plains. Screaming, all-powerful and
uncanny war dogs, they bounded grotesquely high in the air, plunging
straight towards the Jarmuthian ranks which greeted them with a
searing, billowing blast of their retortii. Though dozens of the
terrible creatures fell kicking and writhing beneath the scalding
discharge of the retortii, the main body, perhaps forty or fifty in
number, sprang like rending fiends into the dense packed masses of
Jarmuthian infantry.

* * * * *

Of the ensuing battle, Nelson had but the most confused recollections.
The dominating impression was that the fray was awesome, horrible
beyond power of description. He recalled feeding the five remaining
cartridges into the magazine, then clapping on an Atlantean noble's
helmet. With Hero John at his side he joined in an furious headlong
charge of the podoko corps.

Like a vast glittering wedge the gallant Atlantean lancers advanced