I made the town soon after noon that day. The little automobile was still
standing in the garage, and I started it without trouble. Before I left I
went up to the porch of the house.

The bodies of Mercer and the Mercutian were still lying there. I dragged
Mercer's body down the steps and put it into the back seat of the car
Then I started off. I stuck to the main road, and went through Mantua at
top speed, apprehensive that some of the Mercutians might be there. This
town, like Garland, was completely burned. Only the chimneys were left
standing amid piles of ashes.

At Frannie I took on two passengers. There was much curiosity on the part
of those I met along here, but I was unwilling to explain, deciding it
best to wait and tell my whole story to the military authorities at
Billings.

It was early afternoon when I got back to Billings. This was March 12. I
turned Mercer's body over to the police, who promptly took me in charge. I
gave them a brief outline of what had occurred. General Price, whose
command of the United States military operations against the Mercutians
was announced to the country two days later, had arrived that morning in
Billings by airplane. I demanded to see him, and when my business was
explained to him he granted me an immediate interview.

General Price was a man about fifty, a kindly gentleman of the old
Southern type, yet of thoroughly military demeanor. I told him everything
that had happened to me in detail as complete as I possibly could.
Mercer's body was examined that same afternoon. It was found to have been
drilled completely through the chest by a hole about the diameter of a
lead pencil. This hole did not seem to have been made by the passage of
any foreign object, but had more the aspect of a burn. I understood
then--Mercer had been killed by a tiny light-ray projector, with a short,
effective radius, aimed probably like a revolver.

What I was able to tell General Price about the Mercutians naturally was
invaluable to him. He asked me then to remain close to him during the
forthcoming operations. We arranged that I was on honor to give nothing
out to my paper without his approval.

The situation, as it appeared during the next few days, was not one of
grave danger. We were able to gage now with fair probability of
correctness the offensive strength of our enemies. They had no means of
transportation--could only move from their present position slowly and
with extreme dif