r had a woman. That's what came from listening to the tales of
Mark's exploits with women. Now he had to have that girl!

The mounting tension of the fighting snapped something in Jarvis'
seething mind. Danger, friendship, duty, all meant nothing. Only one
thing mattered. The girl! Mark had had more than his share of girls. He,
Jarvis, was the one who should have her! He'd been deprived of his
manhood long enough! His frenzied brain hunted a trick to gain his ends.

Mark's superior strength began to force Jarvis to give ground. Then a
final blow sent him reeling, he reached out to break his fall, his hand
closed on a rock. He threw it. Mark crashed to the ground, his knee
smashed, his leg useless. Then the tomb stillness of the dead city took
over. The dust settled slowly. Mark came to his feet.

Jarvis was gone.

Dragging his useless leg, Mark forced himself to crawl forward. Jarvis
had to be stopped.

Ahead, a shadow moved, and for a moment the moon threw the silhouette of
a man against a cavernous opening in the debris.

"Jarvis!"

* * * * *

An electric flash shattered the darkness. The jagged teeth of the bolt
spit tongues of fire. Cordite mingled with the raw, nauseant, revolting
smell of scorched flesh and hair. The figure tottered and fell into the
black mouth of the cave. Then, as the flame faded, it lit up small
bundles of charred bones near the fallen body.

There was a whir and a click of a mechanism. Fifteen feet away, Mark
watched as the arm of a phonograph rose, moved slowly back to the
starting point. Then the record began once more to grind out its
death-trap melody.

Transcriber's Note:

This etext was produced from _Amazing Stories_ March 1954. Extensive
research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on
this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and typographical
errors have been corrected without note.

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Operation Lorelie, by William P. Salton

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OPERATION LORELIE ***

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