ve
towards them.

In sudden frenzy, those nearest leaped upon him, and in an instant he
lay dead upon the ground, with half a dozen swords run through his body.
Then the men stood, in formation still, apathetically watching the
events that were going on around them.

Meanwhile the fight on the palace steps raged more furiously than ever.
The defenders were reduced now to a mere handful.

"A moment more--they'll be in," said the Doctor breathlessly. Hardly had
he spoken when, with a sudden, irresistible rush, the last of the guards
were swept away, and the invaders surged through the doorway into the
palace.

A great cry went up from the crowd in the park as the palace was
taken--a cry of applause mingled with awe, for they were a little
frightened at what they were seeing.

Perhaps a hundred people crowded through the doorway into the palace;
the others stood outside--on the steps and on the terrace
below--waiting. Hardly more than five minutes went by when a man
appeared on the palace roof. He advanced to the parapet with several
others standing respectfully behind him.

"Targo!" murmured Oteo.

It was Targo--Targo triumphantly standing with uplifted arms before the
people he was to rule. When the din that was raised at his appearance
had subsided a little he spoke; one short sentence, and then he paused.
There was a moment of indecision in the crowd before it broke into
tumultuous cheers.

"The king--he killed," Oteo said softly, looking at his master's friends
with big, frightened eyes.

The Big Business Man stared out over the waving, cheering throng, with
the huge, dominant, triumphant figure of Targo above and muttered to
himself, "The king is dead; long live the king."

When he could make himself heard, Targo spoke again. The Doctor and the
Big Business Man were leaning over the parapet watching the scene, when
suddenly a stone flew up from the crowd beneath, and struck the railing
within a few feet of where they were standing. They glanced down in
surprise, and realized, from the faces that were upturned, that they
were recognized. A murmur ran over the crowd directly below, and then
someone raised a shout. Four words it seemed to be, repeated over and
over. Gradually the shout spread--"Death to the Giants," the Big
Business Man knew it was--"Death to the Giants," until the whole mass of
people were calling it rhythmically--drowning out Targo's voice
completely. A thousand faces now stared up at th