n in the guard's hand.

There was a sneer on the monster as he pressed something on the tube.
Hilary's automatic was only half out of his blouse. Grim's lunge would
never reach in time. He was too far away.

CHAPTER III

_The Death of Amos Peabody_

Just how any inkling of what was happening penetrated the pain-swept
consciousness of the blind and deaf President could never be
determined. Possibly a thin repercussion of Grim's cry, possibly an
intuition that comes to sense-bereft men. But he had jerked
spasmodically erect. There was a sharp tinkling as the weakened leg
links broke. He threw himself in a queer, awkward movement forward,
directly in the path of the tubed weapon. A blinding beam flashed out
of the orifice, sheared through Peabody's middle as though he were cut
cleanly in half with a gigantic knife. He toppled in two sections to
the floor of the conveyor--released from all humiliation, all
suffering.

At the same time two other things happened. Grim Morgan hit the guard
like a crashing thunderbolt and Hilary's gun barked once. The monster
tottered under the impact. A puzzled expression flitted over his
pinkish eyes, a filmy sheath spread over them like a veil, and he fell
heavily, a neat bullet hole square between his eyes.

Hilary shoved the gun back in his blouse, and stared alternately at
the huddled form of the grotesque being and all that remained of Amos
Peabody. The old President had saved his life at the cost of his own.
Instinctively his hand went up in formal salute to the gallant old
man.

Grim Morgan shook him by the shoulder.

"Man," he said quietly, "we have killed a Mercutian guard. Within the
hour we shall be dead men too."

Hilary looked up at him sharply.

"A Mercutian," he echoed. "You mean--"

"That for three years now the Earth has been a conquered province of
these devils from Mercury," Grim interposed swiftly. "We have
committed the unforgivable offense and must pay for it."

* * * * *

Hilary glanced swiftly around. The express conveyor was clear of
passengers for over a hundred yards each way. All the people within
range had cleared off when Hilary had attempted to release Peabody.
The small figure of a man got up from his chair beyond the charmed
circle, and was threading his way forward. The local conveyors seemed
to be moving backward at graded speeds. Beyond was the open country,
gradually thickening into scattered rows of