to be afraid of them with only one gun, and we
can't leave the poor devils at the mercy of every wild beast."

"You're the boss," said Chet briefly; "but, for me, I'd sooner give this
Schwartzmann just one bullet--right where it would do the most good.

"Let's make him work for it," he suggested, and called to the men below:

"Come back up here, Schwartzmann! A little present for you--and I'm
saying you don't deserve it."

He watched the return trip as Schwartzmann dragged his heavy bulk up the
slope; he was enjoying the man's explosive, panted curses. Beside him
were Diane and Walt. With them, it was as it had been with him at first.
They had eyes only for the familiar ground below: the stream, the open
ground, the trees....

* * * * *

Each of them was looking down at that lower ground.

It was Kreiss standing down there who first caught Chet's attention.
Kreiss was trying to shout. Chet saw his waving arms; he stared,
puzzled, at the facial contortions--the working lips from which no sound
came. He knew that something was wrong. It was a moment or two before he
realized that Kreiss could not speak, that the throat, injured by the
choking fumes, had failed him. Then he heard the strangled croak that
Kreiss forced from his lips: "_Behind you!--look behind you!_"

Schwartzmann was scrambling to the top where they stood; every man was
accounted for. What had they to fear? And suddenly it was borne in upon
Chet's consciousness that he had been hearing a sound--a sound that was
louder now--a rustling!--a clashing of dry, rasping things! The very air
seemed to hold something ominous.

He knew this in the instant while he whirled about; while he heard the
dry rustling change to a humming roar; while he saw, like a cloud of
flame, a great swarm of red, flying things like the one that had flown
past the port--and one, swifter than the rest, that darted from the
swarm and flashed upon him.

[Illustration: _One, swifter than the rest, dashed upon him._]

It was red--vividly, dazzlingly red! The body of a reptile--a wild
phantasm of distorted dreams--was supported by short, quivering wings.
The body was some five feet in length, and it was translucent.

A shell, like the dried husk of some creature long dead!--yet here was
something alive, as its quick attack proved. It had a head of dry scales
which ended in a projecting black-tipped beak that came like a sword,
straight and true for C