here now."

He vanished. An instant later Tommy heard a voice--a girl's voice. His
heart began to pound. Denham came back into the room and with him was
Evelyn. She smiled warmly upon Tommy, though as his eyes fell blankly
upon the smart sport clothes she was again wearing, she flushed.

"My daughter Evelyn," said Denham. "She wants to thank you."

And Tommy felt a warm soft hand pressing his, and he looked deep into
the eyes of the girl he had never before spoken to, but for whom he
had risked his life, and whom he knew he would love forever. There
were a thousand things crowding to his lips for utterance. He had
watched Evelyn, and he loved her--

"H-how do you do?" said Tommy, lamely. "I'm--awfully glad to meet
you."

But before he was well he learned to talk more sensibly.

[Illustration: _--And the ships, at that touch, fell helplessly down
from the heights._]

The Pirate Planet

PART THREE OF A FOUR-PART NOVEL

_By Charles W. Diffin_

Two fighting Yankees--war-torn Earth's sole representatives on
Venus--set out to spike the greatest gun of all time.

WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE

The attack comes without warning; its reason is unknown. But Venus is
approaching the earth, and flashes from the planet are followed by
terrific explosions that wreak havoc throughout the world. Lieutenant
McGuire and Captain Blake of the U. S. Army Air Service see a great
ship fly in from space. Blake attacks it with the 91st Squadron in
support, and Blake alone survives. McGuire and Professor Sykes, an
astronomer of Mount Lawson, are captured.

The bombardment ceases as Venus passes on, and the people of Earth
sink into hopeless despondency. Less than a year and a half and the
planet will return, and then--the end! The armament of Earth is futile
against an enemy who has conquered space. Blake hopes that science
might provide a means; might show our fighters how to go out into
space and throttle the attack at its source. But the hope is blasted,
until a radio from McGuire supplies a lead.

McGuire is on Venus. He and Sykes land on that distant planet,
captives of a barbarous people. They are taken before Torg, the
emperor, and his council, and they learn that these red, man-shaped
beasts intend to conquer the earth. Spawning in millions, they are
crowded, and Earth is to be their colony.

Imprisoned on a distant island, the two captives are drugged and
hypnotized before a machine which throws their thoughts