their amazing ring of diamond smugglers.

While as for Professor Prescott, he was thinking with what amazement
the members of his expedition back on Kinchinjunga would receive the
cablegram he would dispatch that night, informing them that Stoddard
and himself were safe in El Paso, Texas.

The Slave Ship From Space

_By A. R. Holmes_

[Illustration: "_The slaves!" gasped Jim, and involuntarily backed
into the room._]

[Sidenote: Three kidnapped Earthlings show Xantra of the Tillas how
"docile" Earth slaves can be.]

Twice that night the two young men had seen the thing, and their hour
for turning in had long since passed as they lay half reclining on the
ground by their campfire waiting, hoping that it would return once
more. Their interest in the strange visitant had completely banished
all sensations of fatigue from a full day of vacation fishing in the
cold Adirondack streams among which they were camping for that month.

They had discussed the appearance until there was nothing more they
could say; and now as for the last hour, they watched in silence, only
moving to knock the dottle from their pipes and to get fresh lights
off the splinters they stuck into their slumbering fire. The velvet
night was now at full reign, and the myriad stars in their familiar
patterns leaned close--brilliant jewels for man to share but never
pluck.

Jim Wilson had seen the thing first--a pinpoint of cherry red that
moved upward in a perfect arc against the brilliant white
constellations of the east. As it rose, it grew perceptibly larger, to
dwindle again as it arced over the western horizon.

Nearly an hour later it had appeared again; but this time, when
halfway up the skies, it had changed its direction until it was
heading directly over the spot where the two thrilled campers were
watching; and as it approached they saw its color fade slowly until it
had disappeared completely from sight among the inky patches between
the stars overhead. For minutes the two were not able to locate
it--until Jim, once again, had pointed to a faint red spot that grew
in color and intensity as it drew away from the zenith. Once again it
had disappeared over the rim of the western world--and from then on
there was no thought of sleep in the minds of Jim Wilson and Clee
Partridge. They were watching the skies, hoping it would return.

"What was the thing?" Jim Wilson exclaimed suddenly with exasperation.
"I've been racking my brain