they flew steadily toward the base of the great cone,
which was pouring out a fan-shaped stream of fire. Rumblings shook the
earth; it was evident that another upheaval was in course of
preparation. The long column of the Drilgoes could be seen, extending
around the flank of the mountain.

Then of a sudden the Eye opened. And across the causeway came the
blue-white Ray, carrying death and destruction.

The Drilgoes, who had learned wisdom, remained concealed out of the
Ray's path, and escaped, but a great dinosaur, fifty or sixty feet in
length, startled by the light, came blundering out of the ferns,
uttered a bellow, and melted into an amorphous mass. Birds dropped
from their roosting places with a sound like that of falling hail.
Black paths were cloven through the midst of the jungle.

Rifle in hand, Jim soared into the air, and shot forward, high above
the causeway toward the glowing Eye.

He had noticed that the blue-white ray appeared in cycles of about two
minutes, and had made his plans accordingly. Two minutes in which to
accomplish his task, or take the chance of a hideous death. Some
thirty seconds carried him right into the glowing heart of the winking
Eye: he hovered and raised his rifle.

Underneath him the breakers thundered: round the Eye a myriad
sea-birds fluttered, dashing themselves against it, falling into the
waves. Huge and high the great city towered into the skies, lit by its
soft incandescence. Jim could see the throngs in the streets, the
traffic. But what was happening in the other side of the Eye?

* * * * *

Suddenly he saw the moon in her third quarter sailing through the
skies, and a hideous fear overcame him. Suppose Tode had met with
treachery; suppose that this very night Lucille were doomed to be
sacrificed to the terrible god Cruk!

Suppose that even at that moment her tender flesh were being
sacrificed by the awful hooks!

He drew a bead upon the Eye and fired--and missed. The bullet went
wide. But even if it struck, what guarantee had he that it would
shatter the glass, or whatever substance it was that covered the orb?

He lost position, and knew that the two-minute interval was drawing to
a close. He soared and fired again. The Eye still glowed.

Then of a sudden a blinding ray shot forth from it, so dazzling that
it seemed to sear Jim's eyeballs. The interval was ended.

It shot beneath him, but no more than a few feet, and turning h