e big insect that had attacked
Tula Bela had been captured alive and had been kept well nourished by
lat's blood injected into its stomach.

With Zorn Larner went to inspect the hideous monstrosity and found it in
leash and straining. It was ready to be used to lead the way back to its
breeding place.

Its wings shackled, the lumbering insect floundered on its way straight
north. Ponderously and half blindly it crawled as the searchlights'
glare was kept far enough in advance to keep from blinding the monster.

True to instinct it finally brought up at early dawn under a high cliff
of smoky quartz. Here, in the great crevices, the drove of diabolical
vampires were hiding.

As the light struck their dens, they attempted clumsily to take wing,
but a interlacing network of devastating disintegrating rays from the
ray-guns shattered their bodies to dust, which was borne away by the
wind.

The next few months were spent in combing the quartz crags of Venus for
similar infested areas, but only the one breeding nest was found. The
scourge had been conquered in its first and only stronghold.

* * * * *

So ended the greatest reign of terror in the history of Venus.

Leslie Larner was given a vote of thanks, and riches were showered upon
him by the good people of the sky's brightest star.

His modesty was characteristic, and he insisted that his part in saving
humanity on the planet had been small.

Passage back to earth was offered him, but Nern and Tula Bela urged him
to say and live his life on Venus. This he finally agreed to do.

"If I returned," he said, "I would always be tempted to tell my
experiences while away, and there is not a jury in the world which would
account me sane after I had once spoken."

* * * * *

That the story of Larner's adventure reached earth dwellers at all is
due to the fact that Nern Bela on a subsequent visit to the earth
narrated it to a Colorado quartz miner. This miner, a bronzed and
bearded prospector for gold, stumbled on the targo in a mountain
fastness, and there was nought to do but make him welcome and pledge him
to secrecy.

The miner surveyed the crystal targo in rapt wonderment and said: "And
to think I am the only earth man who ever viewed such a craft!"

"No," answered Nern Bela, "there is one other." And then the stirring
story of Leslie Larner's life on Venus was told.

SAFE FLYING IN FOGS