wrecked borer,
back into the dim rear, eyes on Phil and the sluggish mass that moved
inexorably towards him. When she had gone fifteen or twenty yards she
paused, and watched the two men anxiously.

Phil was talking swiftly to Professor Guinness. His voice was low and
level, and though she could not hear the words she could catch the
tone of assurance that ran through them. She saw her father nod his
head, and he seemed to make the gesture with vigor. "I will," she
heard him say; and he slapped Phil on the back, adding: "But for God's
sake, be careful!"

And with these words the old man wormed inside Quade's wrecked borer
and was gone from the girl's sight.

She wanted desperately to run forward and learn what Phil intended to
do, but she restrained herself and obeyed his order. She waited, and
watched; and saw the young man stand up, look at the slowly advancing
monster--and deliberately walk right into its path!

Sue could not move from her fright. In a daze she saw Phil advance
cautiously towards the amoeba and pause when within five feet of it.
The thing stopped; remained absolutely motionless. She saw him take
another short step forward. This time a pseudopod emerged, and reached
slowly out for him. Phil avoided it easily, but by so narrow a margin
that the girl's heart stopped beating. Then she saw him step back;
and, snail-like, the creature followed, pausing twice, as if wary and
suspicious. Slowly Phil Holmes drew it after him.

To Sue, who did not know what was his plan, it seemed a deliberate
invitation to death. She forgot about her father, lying inside the
mangled borer, waiting. She did not see that Phil was leading the
monster directly in front of it....

* * * * *

It was a grotesque, silent pursuit. The creature appeared to be
unalert; its movements were sloth-like; yet the girl knew that if Phil
once ventured an inch too close, or slipped, or tried to dodge past it
to the sphere, its torpidness would vanish and it would have him. His
maneuvering had to be delicate, judged to a matter of inches. Tense
with the suspense, the strain of the slow-paced seconds, she
watched--and yet hardly dared to watch, fearful of the awful thing she
might see.

It was a fantastic game of tag her lover was playing, with death the
penalty for tardiness. The slow, enticing movements were repeated
again and again, Phil advancing very close, and stepping back in the
nick of time. Alwa