r time but a
few weeks away. To the sweet strain of music which had been in the air
for ages, they soon fell asleep. How long he had slept Omega could never
guess, but he was awakened suddenly. He sat up bewildered and stared
into the darkness, because for some reason all lamps were out. And then
he became aware of a peculiar sound coming from afar. It was a queer
noise combining the roar of the surf upon a rock-bound coast, the sigh
of the night wind through a forest and the rumble of thunder. Suddenly
it seemed to him that earth and cottage were trembling, and the walls of
the room swayed and buckled as though smitten by a great wind.

Frantically he rubbed his eyes, convinced that it was all a dream. But
the noise drew nearer, thundered in his ears. In terror he got to his
feet, tried to cry out. The words froze on his lips, for just then the
wall before him crashed in as though struck by an avalanche. Then came a
grinding, splitting jumble of sounds, the solid ground shook under the
passage of some mighty force which increased for a moment followed by a
piercing scream.

Frozen with horror Omega stared around the wrecked room whose tottering
walls seemed about to fall upon him. Where was Thalma? In a frenzy he
stared into the darkness, felt over the couch. She was gone!

In some way he got outside and there in the direction of the lake he saw
the monster, its great bulk looming high above the ground, its head
swaying with the swing of its legs as it lumbered along. And, merciful
God--held in the grip of the monster's jaws was Thalma!

The awful sight galvanized Omega to action. With a hoarse scream he
launched himself at the beast, passed rapidly through the air above the
monster and reached out for his wife. Scream after scream rent the still
air as he pressed forward and the beast lurched on in its haste to reach
the lake with its prey. But now Omega was close to his beloved, and he
reached out to grasp her as once more he screamed right into the ears of
his enemy. Then perhaps in sheer terror at the audacity of man, the
great jaws of the monster relaxed and Thalma fell limp and unconscious
to the ground.

As the beast lumbered on Omega knelt by her side.

"Thank God," he breathed, "she lives!"

Then he took her in his arms and turned back to the ruined home just as
a great splash informed him that once more the monster had entered his
element to challenge them for its possession.

* *