ood of Earth-light that came slantingly now through the opening above
to half-illumine this rocky world; and then, in the far margin of that
light he found something on which his eyes focused sharply--something
that moved!

Walt!--Kreiss--he must arouse them! A shout of alarm was in his
throat--a shout that was never uttered. For, from the darkness at his
back--not where this moving thing had been disclosed by the friendly
Earth-light, but from the place he had just left--came a scream of pure
terror. It was the shocking scream of a person roused from sleep in
utter fright, and the voice was that of Diane.

"Walter!" she cried! "Walt!" There were other words that ended in a
strangling, choking sound, while a hoarse shout from Harkness merged
into a discord that rang horribly through the still night.

* * * * *

Chet was racing across the rocks; the pistol was in his hand. What
fearful thing would he face? What was it that had attacked? He forced
his leaden feet to carry him on in a succession of wild leaps. Forgotten
was the menace behind him, although he half saw, half sensed, a shadow
that moved faster than he along the upper rocks. He thought only of the
unknown horror that was ahead, that had drawn that despairing shriek
from the brave lips of Diane. The few seconds of his crossing were an
age in length.

One last spring, one vivid instant while the Earth-light marked in sharp
distinctness the figure of a leaping man! It was Harkness, throwing
himself into the air, trying vainly to reach the struggling form of
Diane Delacouer. She was held high above his head, and she was wrapped
in the coils of a monster serpent--coils that finished in a
smoothly-rounded end. And Chet knew in that instant of horror that the
thing was headless!

He was raising his pistol to fire; the long moments that seemed never to
end were in actuality an instant. Where should he aim? He must not
injure Diane.

From the high rocks beside him came a glint of light, a straight line of
reflected brilliance as from a poised and slender shaft. It moved, it
flashed downward, it hissed angrily as it passed close to Chet's head.
It went on, a spear like a flash of light--on and down, to drive sharply
into the body of that serpent shape! And the coils, at that blow,
relaxed, while the figure of Diane Delacouer fell limply to the
outstretched, cushioning arms of the man below....

* * * *