ooked alike to him. Quickly he
crossed the room, and pressed a button that mechanically opened a
door. It was his purpose, first of all, to secure a weapon; one room
would do as well as another for a beginning.

At first glance Parkinson was struck by the strange familiarity of
this chamber: then, after a moment, he recognized it. A tall,
high-backed metal chair in its center was its mark of identification.
This was the chamber wherein the Venerians had transferred a record of
his knowledge to their minds.

Carefully he looked around in search of a weapon, but the room held
nothing but the chair and the thought transference device. In a moment
he withdrew, closing the door behind him.

In the next room he entered, he was fortunate. This chamber was filled
with strange devices of various kinds. While curiously inspecting the
intricate machines, he saw something that brought a smile of
satisfaction to his lips.

Against one wall stood a tall, glass case, one of the shelves of which
held several metal devices that Parkinson immediately recognized as
being the Venerians' weapons. Poignantly he remembered how a similar
device had destroyed a ship.

Leaving the door slightly ajar, he crossed to the case and secured one
of the weapons. For a moment he studied it. There was nothing complex
about the mechanism; a cursory examination sufficed to reveal how it
was operated. Pressure on a little knob at the back of the handle
released the devastating ray.

He was about to slip the device into his pocket when he stiffened
involuntarily. There was a sound of movement outside the room--he
heard a step on the metal floor--then he whirled.

* * * * *

One of the Venerians stood in the doorway, a menacing frown on his
face. He was crouching, ready to spring upon Parkinson.

Quick as thought, the bacteriologist leveled his newly-acquired
weapon, and pressed on the knob. There was a sudden spurt of flame
from the Venerian's body; then it crumpled, sagging, shrinking
together.

Hastily Parkinson released the pressure on the little knob, aghast at
the destructive power of his little weapon. Then, as he remembered the
torture he had endured at their hands, he directed the ray upon the
ashes, until they, too, were consumed, leaving naught but a dark patch
on the floor.

For several minutes Parkinson stood there in deep thought. There was
no immediate danger from the two remaining Venerians, for the