leton figures. Had it penetrated, the man
would have been dissipated like a puff of vapor. But it did not; and
then I knew that for that distance at least, this enemy's isolation
power--individual barrage--was too great.

Yet the assailed figure wavered! Our amplifier gave out his shout--half
fear, half admonition. The line of skeletons swung upward. Came on, but
mounted so that I saw that they were making for the summit of the cliff
above us--above our power house.

Their defense--invisibility, and a mere isolation barrage so that we
could not harm them with our tower rays while they kept beyond range.
But what was their means of attack? Why would Tarrano....

"The power house," Elza answered; and I realized then that she had read
my thoughts. The power house, if they could demolish it....

Our thoughts, questions and answers unspoken, flew fast; but the drama
before us unfolded faster. With the knowledge that we could see them,
these invaders cast aside a portion of their equipment to give them
greater freedom. We could see the metal portions of the trappings
falling like plummets. The skeleton images faded; and then as our tower
withdrew the Zed-ray and our search-beams picked them up, we saw our
enemies as they really were. Men clothed in a casing of cylindrical
garments with the flying mechanisms strapped to their chests; some with
visors and headpieces, nearly all with small weapons in their hands.

Keeping well away, they continued to mount. They were striving for the
pinnacle of cliff-tops above us; but as our rays darted at them they
halted, wavered; and now when nearly above the camp, they began mounting
straight up.

"Jac! Look there!"

One of our tower vehicles was preparing to rise. Its ray, following the
search-beams upward, was aimed at the invaders, but they were beyond its
effective range. Their weapons of attack? I knew now.

"Suicides!"

Whether Elza said it, or merely thought it I do not know. One of the
figures came down as though falling. A few seconds only; but though our
search-beam showed it, the smaller rays for those seconds missed it.
Down--until no more than five hundred feet above us it checked its fall.
A giant of a man; and with his hand cylinder--in range now--he shot a
bolt at our power house. It struck; I could see the flash, saw an aerial
shatter before the charge went harmlessly into the body of the building.
Then one of our rays caught the man; his figure crumpled; the sho