ever seen, unusually grotesque.

* * * * *

It was about the size and shape of a regulation football, and was
covered with a wrinkled, reddish hide. At one end was a bright red gash
of a mouth studded with greenish, gnashing teeth. From the other end of
the creature's body protruded a long, needle-like projection which had
imbedded itself in the metal sole of Wayne's boot.

"Good God! If I'd been wearing ordinary boots, that thing would have
stuck clear into my foot!"

He hefted the weighted pick with one hand and swung, catching the
monster with the point. It sank in and ripped through the creature,
spilling red-orange blood over the sand. Shuddering a little, Wayne put
his other foot on the dead thing and pulled his right boot free of the
needle beak.

He started to say something, but he had a sudden premonition that made
him look up in time. Sergeant Boggs put both hands against the
Captain's shoulder and pushed.

"What the hell?" Wayne asked in surprise as he felt the shove. He almost
fell to the sand, but he had had just enough warning to allow him to
keep his balance. He put out a foot and staggered wildly.

A sudden strange noise caused him to turn and look back. Five needles
were jabbing viciously up out of the sand in the spot where he would
have fallen.

"You out of your head, Boggs?" he started to ask--but before the last
word was out of his mouth, the sergeant charged in madly and tried to
push him over again. He was fighting like a man gone berserk--which he
was.

Wayne grabbed him by the wrist and flipped him desperately aside. The
sergeant fell, sprawled out for a moment on the sand, then bounced to
his feet again. His eyes were alight with a strange, terrifying flame.

Silently, he leaped for Wayne. The captain slammed his fist forward,
sending it crashing into Boggs's midsection. The sergeant came back with
a jab to the stomach that pushed Wayne backward. Again the deadly
needles flicked up from the ground, but they did not strike home.

Wayne gasped for breath and reached out for Boggs. Boggs leaped on him,
trying to push Wayne down where the beaks could get to him. Wayne
sidestepped, threw Boggs off balance, and clubbed down hard with his
fist.

Boggs wandered dizzily for a second before Wayne's other fist came
blasting in, knocking the breath out of him. A third blow, and the
sergeant collapsed on the sand.

Wayne paused and caught his breath. The ser