.

Some transformation was happening in the hood of the tower. From a black
opaque object it began to turn a dull red and to diffuse a subdued glow,
while the hum turned into a distinct whir.

Bennie became almost hysterical with excitement.

Soon the hood of the tower had turned white and the glow had increased
until the whole valley was lit up with a suffused and gentle light. The
Ring could be distinctly seen about half a mile away, resting upon a
huge circular support.

"_C'est le feu!_" grunted Marc. "_C'est ainsi que l'on fait danser les
marionettes!_"

There was no doubt that the hood of the tower was in fact white hot, for
the perpendicular cliffs of the mountain across the valley sharply
reflected the light that it disseminated. The humming whir of the great
alternator rose gradually into a scream like the outcry of some angry
thing. And then unexpectedly a shaft of pale lavender light shot out
from the glowing hood and lost itself in the blackness of the midnight
sky. Now appeared a wonderful and beautiful spectacle: immediately above
the point where the rays disappeared into the ether hundreds of points
of yellow fire suddenly sprang into being in the sky, darting hither and
thither like fireflies, some moving slowly and others with such speed
they appeared as even, luminous lines.

"_Les marionettes! Les marionettes!_" Marc cried trembling.

"Not at all! Not at all! They are meteorites!" answered Bennie, entirely
engrossed in the scientific phase of the matter and forgetting that he
did not speak the other's language. "Space is jammed full of meteoric
dust. The larger particles, which strike our atmosphere and which ignite
by friction, form shooting stars. The Ray--the Lavender Ray--reaching
out into the most distant regions of space meets them in countless
numbers and disintegrates them, surrounding them with glowing
atmospheres. By George, though, if he starts in playing the Ray upon
that cliff we've got to stand from under! Look here, boys," he shouted,
"stuff something in your ears." He seized his handkerchief, tore it
apart, and, making two plugs, thrust them into the openings of his ears
as far as the drums. The others in wonderment followed his example.

"He's going to rock the earth!" cried Bennie Hooker. "He's going to rock
the earth again!"

Slowly the Lavender Ray swung through the ether, followed by its
millions of meteorites, dipping downward toward the northern side of the
valley and