hter.

And, when he did, he saw that Inga was standing there, superbly
beautiful, with Stanton a few paces behind her.

Her lovely eyes were alive with awe and wonder and her slender white
hands were crossed over her heart.

And Dirk saw, too, that Zitlan, son of Teuxical, had paused and was
standing quite still, with his unwavering and insolent eyes fixed on
the girl. Resentment, and a touch of apprehension, agitated Dirk when he
saw the expression on the face of the young Lodorian.

There was admiration in that disagreeable countenance, but it was
blended with arrogance, haughtiness and ill-concealed desire.

Dirk went quickly to Inga, standing between the girl and the one from
Lodore who was staring at her so brazenly.

"What does it all mean, Dirk?" she asked in a low voice. "Those strange
people, where are they from?"

Stanton had come quickly forward and had joined Inga and Dirk.

"They are from some far-off world, Inga," he explained, "that we know
nothing about as yet."

"But what do they want?" she persisted. "What do they intend to do? I
saw those horrible creatures through the magnascope when they came
swarming out of the inside of that thing on the water and I thought, at
first, that they were going to kill you all."

"No, they seem to come in peace," Dirk replied. "Teuxical, their leader,
seems to be gracious and kindly."

* * * * *

"We are all doomed," asserted Stanton, "unless something happens. They
can crumble our cities with heat and bury us under the ruins of them."

"Keep your silence!" breathed Dirk, quietly but tensely. "We will find a
way to destroy those creatures if it becomes necessary."

"That man who keeps staring at me, who is he?" asked Inga in a voice
that betrayed her nervousness.

Dirk turned and saw that Zitlan was still standing where he had paused
and that he still was looking with searching eyes in the direction of
the girl.

He returned the insolent gaze of the young Lodorian with an impatient
and threatening stare and the countenance of Zitlan at once became
stern and menacing. He came striding in the direction of Inga, Dirk and
Stanton and paused within a few feet of them, his rapacious eyes still
fixed on the girl.

"My lady," he said, "your beauty pleases me. I have walked on many
worlds but never before have I seen one as lovely as yourself. Of the
spoils of this world, all that I crave possession of is you. When we
return t