e
at the best possible advantage in the impending battle. There was a
small dense thicket of the spiky dead branches half a dozen yards to
their right. At Blake's low command, the three made a dash for the
thicket. Arriving there, they ranged themselves against it, with their
backs at least partially protected from attack.

* * * * *

The maneuver seemed to puzzle the ape-things for a moment. They stood
passively watching the retreat of the three until they had reached the
thicket. Then the creatures again began slowly closing in upon them.
Blake snatched up a dead branch from the ground near the thicket, and
was delighted to find that its weight and tough fiber made it an
excellent club.

He stripped off his topcoat and passed it back to Helen. Its tough
fabric, heavily rubberized for proof against rain, might guard her head
and face at least momentarily from those ripping talons if the headless
attackers came to close quarters. With Helen safely behind them, Blake
and Mapes turned grimly to face the enemy.

The attack was prompt in coming. Moving with the perfect synchronization
of a single unit, one of the main groups came shambling in, followed an
instant later by the other group. Mapes' pistol sent a bullet crashing
squarely into the nearest attacker. The creature staggered momentarily,
then came lurching on again, apparently not even crippled. Blake swung
his heavy club in a whistling arc that sent two of his adversaries
broken and writhing to the ground.

He heard Mapes' pistol bark four times more as the things closed in.
Then the gun was knocked from the gangster's grip by a groping
talon-armed hand. Mapes tried to batter back his assailants with his
naked fists, but the flailing arms of the horde knocked him from his
feet. His limp body was promptly tramped into unconsciousness by the
milling feet of the close-packed group.

Blake lashed the heavy club about him with a burst of savage fury that
for the moment sent the furred horrors reeling backward. Their retreat
ended after a scant two yards. Reforming their ranks, they again began
cautiously shambling forward in a new attack that Blake realized would
probably mean the end.

* * * * *

It was easy enough to batter the things to ground, but it seemed
impossible to seriously hurt them. Their incredible vitality and their
overwhelming numbers made them almost invincible. Grimly Blake set
h