was addressing his fellows.

"What hideous, deformed creatures they are! Truly a low form of life,
even though they do possess some intelligence. They cannot talk, and
have made no signs of having heard our words to them--do you suppose
that they communicate by sight? That those weird contortions of their
peculiarly placed organs serve as speech?"

Thus both sides, neither realizing that the other had spoken. For the
Nevian voice is pitched so high that the lowest note audible to them is
far above our limit of hearing. The shrillest note of a Terrestrial
piccolo is to them so profoundly low that it cannot be heard.

"We have much to do." Nerado turned away from the captives. "We must
postpone further study of the specimens until we have taken aboard a
full cargo of the iron which is so plentiful here."

"What shall we do with them, sir?" asked one of the Nevian officers.
"Lock them in one of the storage rooms?"

"Oh, no! They might die there, and we must by all means keep them in
good condition, to be studied most carefully by the fellows of the
College of Science. What a commotion there will be when we bring in this
group of strange creatures, living proof that there are other suns
possessing planets; planets which are supporting organic and intelligent
life! You may put them in three communicating rooms, say in the fourth
section--they will undoubtedly require light and exercise. Lock all
exits, of course, but it would be best to leave the doors between the
rooms unlocked, so that they can be together or apart, as they choose.
Since the smallest one, the female, stays so close to the larger male,
it may be that they are mates. But since we know nothing of their habits
or customs, it will be best to give them all possible freedom compatible
with safety."

Nerado turned back to his instruments and three of the frightful crew
came up to the human beings. One walked away, waving a couple of arms in
an unmistakable signal that the prisoners were to follow him. The three
obediently set out after him, the other two guards falling behind.

"Now's our best chance!" Costigan muttered, as they passed through a low
doorway and entered a narrow corridor. "Watch that one ahead of you,
Clio--hold him for a second if you can. Bradley, you and I'll take the
two behind us--now!"

Costigan stopped and whirled. Seizing a cable-like arm, he pulled the
outlandish head down, the while the full power of his mighty right leg
drove a