d off the
block; staggered to his feet.

The worm monsters in the cave were swarming toward the downward tunnel
openings! The two captives forgotten, the creatures were pouring in
crawling, fighting swarms toward those openings. And then, as Randall
and Lanier stared stupefied, there came a red flash from one of the
upward tunnels and a brilliant crimson ray stabbed down and mowed a
path of annihilation in the cave's earthen side!

The two heard great thumping sounds from above, saw the tunnels
leading from above becoming suddenly many times greater in size as red
rays flashed down along them to gouge the tunnel's walls. Then down
from those enlarged tunnels there were bursting long shining shapes,
great centipede-machines crawling down the tunnels which their rays
made larger before them! And as the centipede-machines burst down into
the cavern their crimson rays stabbed right and left to cut paths of
annihilation among the worms.

"The Martians!" Lanier cried. "They didn't find us above--they knew we
must have been taken by these things--and they've come down after us!"

* * * * *

"Back, Lanier!" Randall shouted. "Quick, before they see us, behind
this--"

As he spoke he was jerking Lanier with him behind the looming earthen
statue of the great worm god. Crouched there between the statue and
the cave's wall they were hidden precariously from the view of those
in the cavern. And now that cavern had become a scene of horror
unthinkable as the centipede-machines pouring down into it blasted the
frantically crawling worm monsters with their rays.

The worm monsters attempted no resistance, but sought only to escape
into their downward tunnels, and in moments those not caught by the
rays had vanished in the openings. But the centipede-machines, after
racing swiftly around the cavity, were following them, were going down
into those downward tunnels also, their rays blasting down ahead of
each to make the tunnel large enough for them to follow.

In a moment all but one had vanished down into the openings, the
remaining one having its front or head jammed in one of the openings
from the failure of its operator to blast a large enough opening
before him. As Lanier and Randall watched tensely they saw the
machine's control room door open and a Martian descend. He inspected
the tunnel opening in which his vehicle was jammed, then with a hand
ray-tube began to disintegrate the earth aroun