low
over the mountains, gazing in wonder at the green masses of the strange
vegetation; strange, indeed, for they for uncounted ages had grown only
mushroom-like cellulose products, and these mainly for ornament, for all
their food was artificially made in huge factories.

Then they came over a little mountain lake, a body of water scarcely
large enough to berth one of their huge ships, but high in the clear air
of the mountains, fed by the melting of eternal snows. It was a
magnificent sapphire in a setting green as emerald, a sparkling lake of
clear water, deep as the sea, high in a cleft in the mountains.

In wonder the men looked down at these strange sights. What a marvelous
home!

Steadily the great machines proceeded, and at last the end of the giant
mountain was reached, and they came to a great plain. But that plain was
strangely marked off with squares, as regularly as though plotted with a
draftsman's square. This world must be inhabited by intelligent beings!

Suddenly Taj Lamor saw strange specks off in the far horizon to the
south, specks that seemed to grow in size with terrific velocity; these
must be ships, the ships of these people, coming to defend their home.
The strangely pallid face of Taj Lamor tightened into lines of grim
resolution. This was a moment he had foreseen and had dreaded. Was he to
withdraw and leave these people unmolested, or was he to stand and fight
for this world, this wonderfully beautiful home, a home that his race
could live in for millions of years to come? He had debated this
question many times before in his mind, and he had decided. There would
never, never be another chance for his people to gain a new home. They
must fight.

Swiftly he gave his orders. If resistance came, if an attack were made,
they were to fight back at once, with every weapon at their disposal.

The strangers' ships had grown swiftly larger to the eye, but still,
though near now, they seemed too small to be dangerous. These giant
interstellar cruisers were certainly invulnerable to ships so small;
their mere size would give them protection! These ships were scarcely as
long as the diameter of the smaller of the interstellar ships--a bare
two hundred and fifty feet for the largest.

The interstellar cruisers halted in their course, and waited for the
little ships to approach. They were fast, for they drew alongside
quickly, and raced to the front of the flagship. There was one small one
that w