cliff. This surprised even the doctor a little, for four Martians had
been necessary to put it in place upon the catapult. It must have
astonished them still more, for they were staring at me so blankly that
I was tempted to toss the dart down their gaping throats!

"Give them just one dose of their own medicine!" suggested the doctor.

"Perhaps I had better teach them to keep their dangerous weapons at
home," I said; and, balancing the dart easily above my head, I aimed it
carefully at a dense group around the catapult. I threw my whole force
into the thrust, and sent the shaft whizzing down at them. Then I
staggered back, quite exhausted by the effort and gasping for breath.

"Good God! You have impaled two of them upon the dart!" cried the
doctor, "and it is causing a panic in the whole army!"

And when I sprang up to look, I saw two writhing Martians, much shrunken
in size and dying upon the dart. The terror-stricken archers and
slingers were scattering and scurrying in every direction, regardless of
the shouted orders of their captains. The foremost of the impaled men
wore a beard, and was no other than the gunner of the catapult.

"I am sorry for the poor devils!" I exclaimed. "I had no idea they were
so soft and tender. They have shrunk like a pricked balloon!"

"They thought they could prick us like that, and let the life ooze out,"
said the doctor. "There is no danger that they will shoot any more at
us. The whole army is afraid that you will throw down the other dart."

Nevertheless, other companies of archers and slingers were seen leaving
the palace, and the birds were already returning with two more darts.
And the soldiers below were gaining courage and responding to the
rallying cries of the captains, who were halloing and pointing toward
the edge of the cliff, down in the direction of the cataract. I looked
quickly that way, and instantly shouted,--

"To the rifles, quick, doctor! The other two birds have ascended the
cliff, and are racing toward us along its edge. Take careful aim at the
head of that front one. Afterward, let drive two random bullets into his
body!"

Urged on by their riders, who with their hands swayed the long necks of
the birds in unison with their rhythmical stride, these two-legged
giraffes, with the wild look and sharp beak of an eagle, swept
menacingly toward us.

"Ready now!" I cried, as the foremost came within fifty feet of us.
"Fire!"

Two sharp reports almost simu