rk at the racks and tables, others
operating some of the strange machines.

The guards conducted the three to an open space by the wall, below one
of the high window-openings and between two great cylindrical
mechanisms. Then, while five of their number held the three men
prisoned in that space by the threat of their levelled ray-tubes, the
other moved toward one of the busy Martian scientists and held with
him a brief interchange of hissing speech.

Milton leaned to whisper to the other two: "We've got to get out of
this while we're still living," he whispered. "You heard the Martian
Master--in constructing that matter-receiver on earth, we've opened a
door through which all the Martian millions will pour onto our world!"

"It's useless, Milton," said Randall dully. "Even if we got clear of
this the Martians will be at their matter-transmitter in hordes when
the moment comes to flash back to earth."

"I know that, but we've got to try," the other insisted. "If we or
some of us could get clear of this, we might in some way hide near the
matter-transmitter until the moment came and then fight to it."

"But how to get out of the hands of these, even?" asked Lanier,
nodding toward the alert guards before them.

* * * * *

"There's but one way," Milton whispered swiftly. "Our earthly muscles
would enable us, I think, to get through this window-opening above us
in a leap, if we had a moment's chance. Well, whichever of us they
take to experiment with or examine first, must make a struggle or
disturbance that will turn the guards' attention for a moment and give
the other two a chance to make the attempt!"

"One to stay and the other two to get away...." Randall said slowly;
but Milton's tense whisper interrupted:

"It's the only way, and even then a thousand to one chance! But it's
we who have opened this gate for the Martian invasion of our world and
it's we who must--"

Before he could finish, the approach of hissing voices told them that
the leader of the six guards and the Martian who seemed the chief of
the experimenters in the hall were nearing them. The three men stood
silent and tense as the two crocodilian monsters stopped before them.
The scientist, who carried in his metal-belt, instead of a ray-tube a
compact case of instruments, surveyed them as though in curiosity.

He came closer, his quick reptilian eyes taking in with evident
interest every feature of their bodily