far from Broken Hill, where a swarm of a
hundred thousand beetles had been found in a little known valley. The
monsters had begun to grow new shells, and the news had excited a fresh
wave of apprehension. The airplanes had concentrated for an attack upon
them, and Tommy and Dodd were riding together, Tommy at the controls,
and Dodd observing.

Dodd called through the tube to Tommy, and indicated a mass that was
moving through the scrub--some fifty thousand beetles, executing short
hops and evidently regaining some vitality. Tommy nodded.

He signalled, and the fleet of planes circled around and began to drop
their incendiary bombs. Within a few minutes the beetles were ringed
with a wall of fire. Presently the whole terrain was a blazing furnace.

Hours later, when the fires had died away, Tommy and Dodd went down to
look at the destruction that had been wrought. The scene was horrible.
Great masses of charred flesh and shell were piled up everywhere.

"I guess that's been a pretty thorough job," said Tommy. "Let's get
back, Jim."

"What's that?" cried Dodd, pointing. Then, "My God, Tommy, it's one of
our men!"

* * * * *

It was a man, but it was not one of their men, that creeping, maimed,
half-cinder and half-human thing that was trying to crawl into the
hollow of a rock. It was Bram, and recognition was mutual.

Bram dropping, moaning; he was only the shell of a man, and it was
incredible how he had managed to survive that ordeal of fire. The
remainder of his life, which only his indomitable will had held in that
shattered body, was evidently a matter of minutes, but he looked up at
Dodd and laughed.

"So--you're--here, damn you!" he snarled. "And--you think--you've won.
I've--another card--another invasion of the world--beside which this is
child's play. It's an invasion--"

Bram was going, but he pulled himself together with a supreme effort.

"Invasion by--new species of--monotremes," he croaked. "Deep
down in--earth. Was saving to--prove you the liar you are.
Monotremes--egg-laying platypus big as an elephant--existent long
before pleistocene epoch--make you recant, you lying fool!"

Bram died, an outburst of bitter laughter on his lips. Dodd stood silent
for a while; then reverently he removed his hat.

"He was a madman and a devil, but he had the potentialities of a god,
Tommy," he said.

* * * * *

SUCH WELL-KNOW WRITERS AS