y come up here for, anyway?" asked the Very Young Man.

"There's some hunting," the Chemist answered. "But principally it's the
mines beyond, in the deserts."

They agreed finally to stop beside the river and eat another meal, and
then, with one of them on guard, to sleep for a time before continuing
their journey.

The meal, at the Doctor's insistence, was frugal to the extreme, and was
soon over. They selected Oteo to stand guard first. The youth, when he
understood what was intended, pleaded so with his master that the
Chemist agreed. Utterly worn out, the travelers lay down on a mossy bank
at the river's edge, and in a few moments were all fast asleep.

Oteo sat nearby with his back against a tree-trunk. Occasionally he got
up and walked to and fro to fight off the drowsiness that came over him.

* * * * *

How long the Very Young Man slept he never knew. He slept dreamlessly
for a considerable time. When he struggled back to consciousness it was
with a curious feeling of detachment, as though his mind no longer was
connected with his body. He thought first of Aura, with a calm peaceful
sense of happiness. For a long time he lay, drifting along with his
thoughts and wondering whether he were asleep or awake. Then all at once
he knew he was not asleep. His eyes were open; before him stood the
forest trees at the river's edge. And at the foot of one of the trees he
could see the figure of Oteo, sitting hunched up with his head upon his
hands, fast asleep.

Remembrance came to the Very Young Man, and he sat up with a start.
Beside him his friends lay motionless. He looked around, still a little
confused. And then his heart leaped into his throat, for at the edge of
the woods he saw a small, lean, gray figure--the little figure of a man
who stood against a tree-trunk. The man's face was turned towards him;
he met the glistening eyes looking down and saw the lips parted in a
leering smile.

A thrill of fear ran over the Very Young Man as he recognized the face
of Targo. And then his heart seemed to stop beating. For as he stared,
fascinated, into the man's mocking eyes, he saw that slowly, steadily he
was growing larger. Mechanically the Very Young Man's hand went to his
armpit, his fingers fumbling at the pouch strapped underneath. The vial
of chemicals was not there!

For an instant more the Very Young Man continued staring. Then, with an
effort, he turned his eyes away from the