if she slipped. I was below the
girl. We were halfway up the rock when suddenly a glare of red light
shone upon me, casting my shadow sharply on the cliff. I looked up
and saw the broad, intensely red beam of a heat-ray like that we had
seen the giant crab use.

The ray came, evidently, from the shore of the great lake with its
submerged city of blue cylinders. It fell upon the face of the cliff
just above us. Quickly the ladder was heated to cherry red. The face
of the rock grew incandescent, cracked. Hot sparks rained down upon
us.

Slowly the ray moved down, toward us.

"Guess we'd better call it off," said Ray. "They have the advantage
right now. Better get to climbing down, Jim. This ladder is going to
be burning my hands pretty soon."

* * * * *

I climbed down. Mildred and Ray scrambled down behind me.

The ray followed us, keeping the metal at a cherry red just above
Ray's hands.

I looked down and saw a dozen of the giant crabs lumbering up out of
the fungoid jungle from the direction of the great lake. Hideous
things they were, with staring, stalked eyes, shining green antennae,
polished red shells, claw-armed limbs. Like the one that had passed us
in the upper cavern, they wore glistening white metal accoutrements.

We clambered down, with the red ray following.

I dropped to the ground among them, wet with the sweat of horror. I
reeled in nausea from the intolerable odor of the crab-things; it was
indescribable, overpowering.

Curious rasping stridulations came from them, sounds which seemed to
serve as means of communication, and which Mildred evidently
understood.

"They say that you will not be harmed, but that you must not go out,"
she called down.

I was seized by the pincher-like claws, held writhing in an
unbreakable grasp, while the glittering eyes twisted about, looked at
me, and the shining green tentacles wavered questioningly over me. My
stomach revolted at the horrible odor.

The crabs tore off my pack, even my clothing. Ray was similarly
treated as soon as he reached the ground. Though they took Mildred's
pack, they treated her with a curious respect.

In a few minutes they released us. They had taken the packs, the rifle
and ammunition, our medicine kit and the few instruments we had
brought with us down the shaft, even our clothing. They turned us
loose stark naked. Ray's face and neck went beet-red when he saw
Mildred standing by him.

Th