y and smoothly. She seemed to be half
lifted, half drawn by some colossal force. I leaned far out over the
rail.

A long, slender, but apparently indestructible cable had been affixed to
our stern by means of a metal plate at its end which I guessed to be
magnetic. I saw that the cable vanished under lashing waves which broke
on a not distant shore, and that we were being drawn irresistibly toward
the waves.

* * * * *

The light from the deck brought out dazzling scintillations from a beach
composed of gigantic crystal pebbles as large as ostrich eggs. On the
beach and grouped thickly all about our hull, swarmed a legion of
creatures which--

Well, they were the brood of Orcon. They were the creatures who had
given Ludwig Leider refuge and allied themselves with him in his attempt
to make trouble for Earth. And they were half-bird, half-human! Their
faces, bodies, arms, and legs were human. _But they had wings!_
Translucent, membranous structures, almost gauzy, which stretched out
from their shoulders like bat's wings. And their skins, as they surged
about in the beams of our light, gleamed a bright orange color, and
about their heads waved frilled antennae which were evidently used as
extra tactile organs to supplement the human hands. I could see
instantly that the Orconites possessed a high degree of intelligence. Of
all the queer breeds that interplanetary travel and exploration had
produced, this was the queerest.

I swung to Koto, who was crouching beside the gun.

"Get rid of that cable before we go under!" I exclaimed.

I had already guessed that the plate which held the cable to our stern
was magnetic. It was easy to see that the cable had been fastened there
by the Orconites and that our ship and ourselves might be drawn to
destruction. I flung myself over to Koto's side to help him with the
gun.

The howling wind which had been at a lull as we reached the deck, broke
loose again, and, as a gust hit us, Koto, gun, and I were all but swept
overboard. The winged legion overside gave loud cries and braced
themselves against the gusts. I saw Virginia Crane clinging desperately
to her stanchion beside the light switches.

"More light if you have it!" I screamed to her against the wind.

Then Koto and I got the gun going.

* * * * *

My first feeling was one of intense relief. As the thing went off under
our hands,