hen toward the
rock-crushing, steadily snapping jaws.

"I'll try to hold the bridge here--"

But Dennis was on his way, catching Jim's idea with the first gesture.

He stooped down, and caught the dead termite by two of its legs. Close
to two hundred pounds the mass weighed; but strength is an inconstant
thing, and increases or decreases according to the vital needs of
life-preservation.

Clear of the floor, Denny lifted the bulk, and with its repulsive weight
clasped in his arms, he advanced toward the mighty guard.

Behind him, Jim glared desperately at the third termite that was about
to attack. No feeble worker this, but one of the most colossal of all
the Queen's guard.

Towering over Jim, mandibles wide open and ready to smash over its prey,
the giant reared toward him. And behind him came the main body of the
horde. It was painfully evident that the clash with the lone soldier
would be the last single encounter. After that the hundreds of the herd
would be on the men, tearing and trampling them to bits.

During the thing's steady, inexorable approach, which had taken far less
time than that required to tell of it, Jim had clenched his fingers
around his spear and calculated as to the best way to hold the monster
off for just the few seconds needed by Denny to try the plan suggested.

The monster ended its slow advance in a lunge, that, for all its great
bulk, was lightning quick. But a shade more quickly, Jim sidestepped the
terrible mandibles, leaped back along the armored body till he had
reached the unarmored rear, and thrust his spear home with all his
force.

* * * * *

The hideous guard reared with pain and rage. But this was no worker
termite, to be killed with a thrust. As though nothing had happened, the
huge hulk wheeled around. The mandibles crashed shut with deafening
force over the space Jim had occupied but an instant before.

And now the inner circle of the multiple ring of death was within a few
yards. Jim leaped to put himself behind the living barrier of the
attacking soldier. But it was only a matter of a few seconds now, before
he and Denny would be caught in the blind bull charges of the wounded
soldier or by the surrounding ring of maddened termites.

"Denny?" he shouted imploringly over his shoulder, not daring to take
his eyes off the danger in front of him.

"Soon!" he heard Dennis pant.

The entomologist had got almost up to the twelve-foot