the animal side than the human,
but they had swords slung at their belts and carried short-barreled
rifles.

In the center of the group was a woman. She was naked except for a
scarlet loin-cloth and golden breast-plates. This was no semi-reptilian
creature, but a woman straight and clean-limbed and beautiful, with long
blonde hair that hung nearly to her waist. She had blue eyes, and her
skin was about as white as Gerry's own, though it had a faintly tawny
tinge so that she appeared all golden. At the moment her hands were
tightly tied behind her back and a cloth gag distended her lips, while
one of the Scaly Men led her along by a rope about her neck.

Gerry stepped out into the clearing with his ray-tubes swinging free in
his hand. His wide shoulders were thrown slightly forward, his whole
muscular body was tensed and ready beneath his armor. As always when he
went into a fight, his lean, and normally somber face was smiling.

* * * * *

The captive girl saw him first, and her eyes widened in utter surprise.
Then the half dozen reptilian men caught sight of the lone Earth-man
standing there in his gleaming armor, and their snout-like mouths sagged
open. Gerry walked quietly forward.

He was half across the clearing before the Venusians recovered from
their surprise. Then one of the patrol flung his short rifle to his
shoulder. There was a hiss of escaping gas, and a split-second later an
explosive bullet struck him in the chest with a flash and a loud report.
It would have instantly killed an unprotected man, but it did no more
than slightly dent Gerry's armor.

The Earth-man half crouched, his eyes narrowing and his jaw jutting
suddenly forward. He had meant to try and parley, but diplomacy had no
place with creatures who shot first and challenged afterward. His
ray-tube swung up to the level. There was a sharp crackling sound, and
for a second a murky red light played around the open end. The nearest
Venusian crumpled and went down. He twitched for a second, and then lay
still. The gray scales had turned dead black in the area where the
death-ray had struck him.

At least the Scaly Men had courage! The remaining five came forward with
a shrill and almost canine yelping, advancing at a bent-legged run.
Their rifles hissed as the compressed gases were released, the explosive
bullets crackled all around Gerry. Twice more his ray-tube let go its
deadly blast--and then his weapon w