re whipping back and
forth almost too swiftly for the eye to follow. Then abruptly the worm
leader ceased the motion himself, and while the horde before him
continued it, turned and crawled to the three captives.

* * * * *

In an instant, at though in answer to a second command, the two worm
monsters who held the Martian dragged him forward toward the great
earthen block before the worm god's image. Two others of the creatures
came from the side, and the four swiftly stretched the Martian flat on
the block's top, each of the four grasping with their tentacles one of
his four taloned limbs. They seemed to hesitate then, the worm leader
beside them, the tentacles of the horde waving swiftly still.

Abruptly the tentacles of the leader flashed up as though in a signal.
There was a dull ripping sound, and in that moment Randall and Lanier
saw the Martian on the block torn literally limb from limb by the four
great worm monsters who had held his four limbs!

The tentacles of the horde waved suddenly with increased, excited
swiftness at that. Randall shrank in horror.

"They've brought us here for that!" he cried. "To sacrifice us on that
altar that way to their worm god!"

But Lanier too had cried out, appalled, as he saw that awful
sacrifice, and both strained madly against the grip of the worm
creatures. Their struggles were in vain, and then in answer to another
unspoken command the two monsters that held Randall were dragging him
also to the earthen altar!

He felt himself gripped by the four great creatures around the block,
felt as he struggled with his last strength that he was being
stretched out on the block, each of the four at one of its corners
grasping one of his limbs. He heard Lanier's mad cries as though from
a great distance, glimpsed as he was held thus on his back the great
shape of the earthen worm god reared over him, and then glimpsed the
leader of the monsters rearing beside him.

* * * * *

The dull sound of the swift-waving tentacles of the horde came to him,
there was a tense moment of agony of waiting, and then the tentacles
of the leader flashed up in the signal!

But at the same moment Randall felt his limbs released by the four
monsters that had held them! There seemed sudden wild confusion in the
great cave. The strange rite broke off; the horde of worm monsters
crawled frantically this way and that in it. Randall slippe