-reddish,
but almost colorless. Looks like a gas flame, with a bit of calcium in
it. Almost as if the air in the ship were combustible. If we should do
any exploring in this baby, I suggest we use altitude suits--they can't
do any harm in any case."

Three or four of the great wrecks, spread over a wide area, were burning
now, hurling forth long tongues of colorless, intensely hot flame.
Several of the ships had been only slightly damaged; one had been
brought down by a beam that had torn free the entire tail of the ship,
leaving the bow in good condition. Apparently this machine had not
fallen far; perhaps the pilot had retained partial control of the ship,
his power failing when he was only a comparatively short distance from
Earth. This was rather well to one side of the plain, however, and they
decided to investigate it later.

The ship nearest them had crashed nose first, the point being crushed
and shattered. Arcot maneuvered his craft cautiously toward the great
hole at the nose of the ship, and they entered the mighty vessel slowly,
a powerful spotlight illuminating the interior. Tremendous girders,
twisted and broken by the force of impact, thrust up about them. It soon
became evident that there was little to fear from any living enemies,
and they proceeded more rapidly. Certainly no creature could live after
the shock that had broken these huge girders! Several times metal beams
blocked their path, and they were forced to use the molecular director
ray to bend them out of the way.

"Man," said Arcot as they stopped a moment to clear away a huge member
that was bent across their path, "but those beams do look as if they
were built permanently! I'd hate to ram into one of them! Look at that
one--if that has anywhere near the strength of steel, just think of the
force it took to bend it!"

At last they had penetrated to the long tube that led through the length
of the ship, the communication tube. This admitted the small ship
easily, and they moved swiftly along till they came to what they
believed to be about the center of the invader. Here Arcot proposed that
they step out and see what there was to be seen.

The others agreed, and they at once put on their altitude suits of heavy
rubberized canvas, designed to be worn outside the ship when at high
altitude, or even in space. They were supplied with oxygen tanks that
would keep the wearer alive for about six hours. Unless the atmosphere
remaining in the al