l night. In this perpetual darkness
and dampness, where many rivers flow into warm black swamps, the
vampires have bred for centuries. Conditions were ideal for their
growth, and so through the ages they evolved into the monsters we
have encountered lately on Venus.

During some comparatively recent visit to Mercury the grubs of
these insects have found their way abroad a vegetation-laden targo
left standing near the edge of the black swamps of Mercury. These
grubs were thus transported to Venus and underwent their natural
metamorphosis here. Reaching adult stage, they have found some
place to hide and breed, and thus is explained the origin of the
vampires of Venus.

This was widely read and discussed and was finally accepted as the means
of the invasion of peaceful, beautiful Venus by a horror that might well
have originated in hell.

However, this did not reveal the breeding grounds, or remove the
nation-wide scourge of the horrible winged vampires, so the mobilization
of all the forces of the planet continued.

* * * * *

As day followed day the hordes of fighting Venus dwellers grew in the
concentration camps. In the targo of the Belas, Larner, brain-weary and
body-racked as he was with overwork, found a grain of happiness in being
in the presence of Nern and his beautiful, petite sister.

With Zorn, Larner was supervising the construction of a big net of
strongly woven wire mesh, in which it was hoped to catch one of the
vampires. It was decided to bait the trap with a fat female lat.

Zorn, Larner and the Belas fared forth from the concentration camp
followed by a company of soldiers carrying the big net. Tula with her
own hand led the fat lat heifer. His eyes were filled with commiseration
for the poor animal.

Thousands of soldiers and citizenry, in fighting array, watched the
departure of the little group.

In a glade the trap was set and the net arranged to fall over the
monster once it attacked the calf. From a thicket, in utter darkness,
Zorn and Larner and the two Belas waited for the possible catch. The
whole nation stood awaiting the order to advance.

On the fourth night the vigil was rewarded in a manner frightful to
relate.

A clumsy flutter of giant wings broke the stillness.

The four waiting forms in the thicket rejoiced, believing the fat lat
was about to be attacked.

Onward came the approaching horror. Th