raging little more than
a hundred miles an hour, winged his way methodically overhead, too
much absorbed in his anger against Cliff to pay much attention to this
phenomenon at first. But gradually it was borne in upon him that
something was wrong.

He flew lower, and now he was passing over a substantial town, and he
could hear the shouts of anger that came up to him. The whole town was
in a ferment, gathered in the town square.

Suddenly the reason came home to Kay. He saw the adjoining airport,
and dropped like a plummet, hovering down until his wheels touched the
ground. Without waiting to taxi into one of the public hangars, he
leaped out and ran through the deserted grounds into the square.

Groans, yells, shrieks of derision rent the air. The whole crowd had
gone maniacal. And it was as Kay had thought. Upon a white background
high up on the town ball building, the numbers of the local boys and
girls who had been picked for sacrifices were being shown.

* * * * *

Eight boys and fifteen girls, already on their way into the wastes of
South America, to meet a hideous death.

"They took my Sally," screamed a wizened woman, the tears raining down
her checks. "Kidnapped her at the street corner after dark. I didn't
know why she hadn't come home last night. God, my Sally, my little
girl, gone--gone--"

"People, you must be patient," boomed the Government announcer. "The
President feels with you in your affliction. But by next year a means
will have been devised of destroying these monsters. Your children
will have their sacrifice recorded in the Hall of Fame. They are true
soldiers who--"

"To hell with the Government!" roared a man. "Stop that damn talk
machine! Break her, fellows! Then we'll hang President Bogart from the
top of the Capitol!"

Yells answered him, and the crowd surged forward toward the building.

"Stand back!" shrieked the announcer. "It's death to set foot on the
step. We are now electrified. Last warning!"

The first ranks of the mob recoiled as a charge of electricity at a
voltage just short of that required to take life coursed through their
bodies. Shrieks of agony rang out. Files of writhing forms covered the
ground.

* * * * *

Kay rushed to the automatic clerk at the window beside the metal
steps, taking care to avoid contact with them. Within six feet, the
temperature of his body brought the thermostatic control in