d one writhing arm, the third
brought the whole animal, still struggling as strongly as it had in the
first contest. Seaton again lifted the animal high into the air.

"If he does that again, we'll follow him."

"Will the ship stand it?" asked DuQuesne, with interest.

"Yes. The old bus wouldn't have, but this one can stand anything. We can
go anywhere that thing can, that's a cinch. If we have enough power on,
we probably won't even feel a jolt when we strike ground."

Seaton reduced the force acting upon the animal until just enough was
left to keep the attractor upon it, and it again dived into the swamp.
The Skylark followed, feeling its way in the total darkness, until the
animal stopped, refusing to move in any direction, at a depth estimated
by Crane to be about three-quarters of a mile. After waiting some time
Seaton increased the power of the attractor and tore the karlon back to
the surface and into the air, where it turned on the Skylark with
redoubled fury.

"We've dug him out of his last refuge and he's fighting like a cornered
rat," said Seaton as he repelled the monster to a safe distance. "He's
apparently as fresh as when he started, in spite of all this playing.
Talk about a game fish! He doesn't intend to run any more, though, so I
guess we'll have to put him away. It's a shame to bump him off, but it's
got to be done."

Crane aimed one of the heavy X-plosive bullets at the
savagely-struggling monster, and the earth rocked with the concussion as
the shell struck its mark. They hurried back to the smelter, where
Dunark asked eagerly:

"What did you find out about it?"

"Nothing much," replied Seaton, and in a few words described the actions
of the karlon. "What did your savants think of it?"

"Very little that any of us can understand in terms of any other known
organism. It seems to combine all the characteristics of bird, beast,
and fish, and to have within itself the possibilities of both bisexual
and asexual reproduction."

"I wouldn't doubt it--it's a queer one, all right."

The copper bars were cool enough to handle, and the Skylark was loaded
with five times its original supply of copper, the other vessel taking
on a much smaller amount. After the Kofedix had directed the officer in
charge to place the remaining bars in easily-accessible places
throughout the nation, the two vessels were piloted back to the palace,
arriving just in time for the last meal of the kokam.

"Well, Dunar