Men on Mars

J

A THRIUIM6
PUillCATION

/

1

Twin Masterpieces of Science -Fiction

DAWN OF FLAME

■

THE BLACK FLAME

By STANLEY G.WEINBAUM

m$?c

Vol. 3, No. 3 A THRILLING PUBLICATION SPRING. 1952

Twin Masterpieces of Science Fiction by

STANLEY G. WEINBAUM

DAWN OF FLAME A NOVELET 10

Lovely but cruel, young but immortal, the Black Princess rode
into Ormiston, a living flame . . . with death like a gift in her hand!

THE BLACK FLAME A NOVEL 36

Black Margot was half sweet, provocative goddess — and half brutal
devil who would endeavor to steal all his knowledge and his heart

Three New Short Stories

THIN END J. W. GROVES 114

Deep in space, a man finds his wife is one of the dreaded paranorms

THIRD ALTERNATIVE SAM MERWIN, JR. 121

There are some odd and fatal differences — even in parallel worlds

MEN ON MARS LAURENCE MANNING 129

Though he couldn't shoot straight, Radioman Willie was on the beam!

Features

COSMIC ENCORES A DEPARTMENT 6

A talk with the editor featuring letters from science fiction fans

STANLEY G. WEINBAUM AN EDITORIAL ?

The story behind Weinbaum's "Dawn of Flame" and "Black Flame"

SAMUEL MINES, £dito>

-
t

'Davit' />/ Flume," Copyright, 193U, by Better Pubfleatitim. Ific^aad origwiUy \mb~
fished in Thrilling Wtmd&v Stories for June, tM9, ''The Black Flame."
Copyright, 19-i&, bu Bvtti'r PnMieations, /"/-., and oj'ginalltf
published in January 19&&* Slurtlhig Siori&s

C ANTA$TIC STORY MAGAZINE published quarlerly ond copyright \H ft Besi Bwfeh, Inc.. \ \ 2-j t. '#a\\9
Ave., Kokomo. Ind. Eci.touol and executive offices, 1(, East 40th 3'reei. Now York 16. N. Y. Subscription:
112 Issues) 53.00; single copies, $.25; foreiqn postage extra Entered us seond doss matter at the
post office at Kokomo, Ind Molenol is submitted ui risk of the sender and must be accompanied by seif-
addressed. stomped envelopes. All characters in stories and semf-fie .on articles arc fictitious. If the name
of any living person ot existing institution is used it is a eoinCtdenee Spring, 1952- Printed in the U.S.A.

Back to the rocks!" shouted the Lieutenant

MEN on MARS

Radioman Willie couldn't shoot straight but he was on the beam!

PAST Kruts' shoulder he could see
four men plodding slowly nearer
across the distant plain, where the
rocket ship lay stranded like a silver
whale. He wished they would hurry.
"But what do you want to learn for?"
Kruts was saying. "You can't shoot.
You're just another radioman, that's all.

You're holding that rifle as if it was go-
ing to bite you. Oh hell, try again if
you want to."

He tried again, loading, aiming, firing
and gasping in the thin Martian air, un-
til Kruts said, "Look, Willie, why don't
you give up, for God's sake? Go twirl
those blasted radio dials of yours

Bj LAURENCE

129

MANNING

130

FANTASTIC STORY MAGAZINE

that's something you can do."

"I'm sorry to be so slow, Kruts."
"Skip it. Save your breath for climb-
ing."

He pointed to the steep slope that
dropped to the canyon floor, a thousand
feet below. On the left the canyon
opened into a wide circular valley; on
the right it ran for miles, straight and
narrow through the flat Martian up-
lands. They had spent that morning
walking along its rim to the far end —
out on the other side and back on this.
Now they were going to descend, cross
and climb the opposite slope to their
starting point, with an armed party
from the ship waiting to meet them.

Fifty feet away, perched on a boulder,
Lieutenant Joliffe was brooding over his
notebook. Kruts was studying the scene
below. Willie fidgeted, stared at the dis-
tant figures, sighed impatiently, said,
"Gee, I wish they'd hurry up — T can
hardly wait."

The first men on Mars! It felt great
to Willie. But DeVoe and Dr. Wilson
were the lucky ones. The station was
going to be over in the valley. They'd
have five years to explore it all ! They'd
have a little farm — even chickens. The
eggs had started to hatch already and
Stockton in the ship's supply office
wanted to know if the skipper thought
he had signed on as a farmer. There'd
be a regular little settlement.

Kruts grunted, his eyes still intent on
the canyon. "It'll be nice company for
Smith's ghost," he said at last.

"Oh — I didn't hear what happened."
"He climbed down there yesterday
afternoon like a damn fool. He never
came back."

"Didn't they send a search party?"
"Yeh. We're it. There's nothing
hasty about the skipper."..

Willie stared down at the canyon. The

only creatures visible were about the size

of goats in scattered groups, peacefully

v nibbling at the vegetation, green now in

the Martian spring.

"But what could happen to him?
What's down there to be afraid of?"

"If 1 knew I wouldn't be afraid of it."

Kruts stiffened, stared and shouted,
"See it, Lieutenant? Near the far side,
small and fast — gone now, sir,"

Lieutenant Joliffe came -out of his
meditations with a start and grabbed his
binoculars. Willie whispered, "He wasn't
on the ball that time, was he?"

"Don't worry about him. He can
shoot," answered Kruts from the side of
his mouth. Then called out abruptly:
"At the mouth of the canyon — another
one — going away from us, Lieutenant!"

WILLIE caught only a glimpse of dis-
tant movement that vanished into
the masking greenery below. He set
himself to watch but it was many min-
utes before anything happened. Then
the nearest group Qf animals, browsing
right below them, burst into sudden
flight.

Something small and black flashed
among the shrubbery in pursuit. In a
few seconds it overtook one and seemed
to flatten out in a curious manner, al-
most to wrap itself around its prey. Both
fell out of sight behind the vegetation.

The Lieutenant climbed off his rock
and walked over to them. "Well, Kruts,"
he said, "you won't have time for a sec-
ond shot at that — whatever it is. I can't
make it out at all. The herbivorae are
about what you might expect, long thin
legs and a big chest — Look out, man!
Climbing up your boot!"

Kruts said, "Those damn tiger-bugs!"
He slapped, then brushed the sticky
mess away.

The Lieutenant nodded and said,
"They can bite! One took a chunk out
of me yesterday an eighth of an inch
across." He held up a bandaged thumb.
"I can't seem to classify them either.
Two antennae, but definitely not insects
— only one body segment and twelve
legs. I don't even know what they live
on. There are no animals up here and
they don't seem to eat vegetation . . ."
His voice trailed off and he stood strok-
ing his chin thoughtfully.

Willie saw that the men had reached

MEN ON

the opposite crest at last. He coughed
suggestively and the Lieutenant looked
up, nodded and gave the word to start.

It was a tough climb down. At the
bottom they paused to get their breath.
The shrubs turned out to be just too
high to see over. Though spaced well
apart, the vistas let ween were irregular
and confusing.

In a low voice the Lieutenant gave his
orders, "Thorgess, you will lead. Kruts
and I will cover you. Go slow and keep
your eyes open."

Willie started, trying to keep a
straight course as he wound in and out
between the clumps. Each bush he
passed with a little shiver — no telling
what was hiding behind its grass-like
leaves. It was utterly quiet. Feet made
no sound in the thick dust that covered
the ground but he could tell the others
were behind him by the sound of their
breathing. He heard Kruts whisper,
"This walking blind is not good."

There was something white lying on
the ground — a skeleton. He stepped
over it, eyes probing the leafy corridors
ahead. He paused, a moment and heard
the Lieutenant mutter, "No vertebrae,
just one big bone-plate! Why, it's a
whole n^v class! Good!"

Kruts said, "Not so good, sir. What
kind of a thing kills and eats its prey
without tearing off so much as a leg?"

Willie led on, his rifle hugged to his
armpit as Kruts had told him. He near-
ly took a shot at a pile of gray boulders
between the shrubs ahead. lie gasped
at the thought of such a blunder and
hoped Kruts would think -the sudden
movement of his gun had been only
alertness.

The Lieutenant whispered, "Climb up,
Thorgess. Maybe we can see something
from up there." He and Kruts waited,
rifles ready, while Willie got up, then .
joined him. Together they peered cau-
tiously over the top.

Not fifty feet off two animals stood
eating. If you could call it eating,
thought Willie. Each tore off a mouth-
ful of leaves, munehed it, spit it out

MARS 131

again on the ground, nuzzled it, to suck
up the wet cud with an audible schloop
and gulp it down at last. Each had a
horn about six inches long in the middle
of its forehead. They scuttled out of
sight just as Kruts was cautiously get-
ting his rifle into position for a shot.

Something fast and quiet was running
among the shrubs close by. Then it
flashed into view, small and black, and
was gone again, liut in that instant
Kruts* rifle had fired. It was hit but
its pace had not even faltered. Willie
shut unbelieving eyes to recapture the
brief image.

Four legs rising to a big lump of
muscle — that was all. No head, not
even a real body. Just a lump where the
legs joined together like the arched back
of a black cat that had no head or tail.
Or like a man cut off at the waist whose
legs ran around by themselves — like
nothing Willie had ever seen in real life.

"That bullet would stop an elephant
but not that little beggar. Now what
do we do?" said Kruts.

Willie had been staring across the can-
yon and interrupted, "The ship's party
has started over toward us. They'll run
slap into that thing."

There were a fusillade of shots and
sounds of distant shouting. Then three
figures were climbing hastily up the far
slope, making extraordinary motions as
though dancing and slapping themselves.
Partway up they stopped and began
shooting at something hidden below
them.

"There's only three of them," said
Willie. "Why did they leave the other
man?"

"Probably because he's dead," barked
Kruts.

The Lieutenant got quickly to his feet.
"We have to cross the canyon some time.
If we do it now we may be able to help
— come on, men!"

IT came at them from behind the tenth
clump of shrubbery, swift and sudden.
All three fired. Two holes gaped but it
kept on coming and was almost at their

132

FANTASTIC STORY MAGAZINE

feet when it fell. Five separate pieces,
not one body, tumbled to the ground.
Each piece as it struck broke into hun-
dreds of tiny individuals that wriggled
in separate life. The ground was cov-
ered with a writhing mound of tiger-
bugs!

At once, while they stared stupefied,
the parts began to reassemble. The
small creatures clung to each other to
make lumps and strands of tissue. Legs
formed and began to join and raise them-
selves off the ground again. The weird
resurrection* was nearly complete when
Kruts put three bullets, one after an-
other, into the mass. A few tiger-bugs
were knocked out but the structure did
not fall entirely apart this time. "Back
to the rocks!" shouted the Lieutenant.

The unkillable thing was in swift pur-
suit before they got there. Kruts
whirled to pump bullets into it. It fell,
splashing tiger-bugs on his boots. Then
he followed the others up the rocks,
slapping himself and cursing.

Willie said, "Hold still a minute,
Kruts," and squashed one in the middle

of his back.

Their pursuer was running again by
now but not toward them. It went
around and around the rock pile, veering
away when it came too near. The Lieu-
tenant said "Oh-oh! Here comes an-
other." They waited, rifles ready. But
the second one also raced in a circle, also
avoided coming close to the rocks. After
a minute Willie gave a gasp of relief.

"Looks like maybe we're safe up here.
Whew! That was close."

"Yes, Thorgess," said the Lieutenant,
"it does look that way. Now why should
it? Why do they keep away from the
rocks?"

Then he added, "Give Kruts a hand
with that bandage on his shoulder." He
watched a minute. "Those bites must
hurt like the devil, Kruts. I'll have to
report you unfit for duty. The Captain
will have to know about all this anyway.
Get the ship on the radio, Thorgess."

When the report had been made,
Willie could hear the faint tinny voice

of the skipper in the earphone and
caught the last words ". . . sweat it out
where you are while I think it over
awhile, Lieutenant."

For an hour nothing happened, hard-
ly anything was said. Kruts was swear-
ing to himself as he tried to find a com-
fortable position to rest in. The Lieu-
tenant was alternately looking through
his glasses and writing in his notebook.
Willie watched the circling horrors.

There were at least five of them at
various locations in the canyon. The
horned browsers had more speed than he
had first thought. Though put to flight
eight times in the hour only one was
caught. It fell in an open spot where
he could watch the kill in detail. A black
tide flower over it and its struggles
ceased almost at once.

Then the tiger-bugs, gorged, began to
leave, each carrying a* piece of flesh in
its jaws. They formed a procession, like
a line of ants returning from a raid,
marching toward the canyon wall on the
left. Willie was shocked to see how
quickly the carcass was stripped to its
bare bones.

The Lieutenant had been watching
too and muttered, "Marvelous! What
organization ! Bees or ants ar& nothing
compared to them! Why, they swarm
like slime-mold in a microscope!"

He put down his glasses and turned
excitedly to Willie. "Don't you see the
parallel?" he asked. "The slime-molds
gather into a slug that crawls about like
a true animal. After it culminates the
cells go back to separate lives again.
Why, this is» almost the same thing on a
larger scale!"

"Huh?" said Willie. He gulped. Tm
afraid I don't get you, sir."

Lieutenant Joliffe looked surprised,
then grinned. "Sorry, Thorgess. I for-
>got where I was for a minute. I'm just
beginning to understand the tiger-bugs
a little — to classify them, that is. But
how do they see to run so fast and
straight? Where do they march to
after they make a kill ?"

(Turn to page 13%)

"Why, I dunno, sir/' answered Willie.
"I just sort of thought they had a nest
over there somewhere with maybe a
queen in it." t

The Lieutenant looked doubtful and
said, "Could be." He turned to look at
Kruts. "How is it with you now?" he
asked.

The big man pressed his lips tight to-
gether and frowned. "The bites have
stopped stinging but how long must we
stay here? It will be damned cold when
the sun sets."

"Let's hope the Captain gets us out of
here before dark."

"He could make flame-throwers out of
welding torches," grunted Kruts. "It
would be easy to rig them up. Then
burn every tiger-bug in the valley!"

The Lieutenant shook his head. "He'd
never authorize that much oxygen.
There is barely enough for the crew to
breathe on the way home. There are
some hand grenades though and a rocket
mortar."

"The target is too swift," said Kruts.

"They'd be useless, sir."

"But what," asked Willie, "what can
the Captain do, then? If flame-throw-
ers are the only things that will work.
He'll just have to use some oxygen."

The Lieutenant looked at him thought-
fully. "Getting the ship back to earth is
a bit more important than getting us
back to the ship, Thorgess. This is your
first voyage. You've never seen a space
crew on oxygen rations, half of them un-
conscious, all with splitting headaches.
It's quite an experience."

"It went to eighty below zero last
night," said Kruts. "We have no shelter,
no blankets. We can't stay here and live,

sir.

n

A LL three men were silent. Willie
•**■ felt an icy lump forming in his
stomach though the afternoon sun was
still warm.

"Get the ship on the radio," snapped
the Lieutenant.

DeVoe's voice answered. Willie felt
almost homesick as he pictured the radio

room with its gleaming metal walls and
the warm hum of the dynamo behind
the cagework. He asked for the Captain
and handed over the radio.

"Lieutenant Joliffe reporting, sir."
Willie strained his ears to catch a few
words of the Captain's answer.

"You are valuable members of this
crew but your value is not infinite ... I
may fail to colonize — I shall not fail to
return my ship safely . . . Good luck,
Joliffe."

The lump of ice in Willie's stomach
grew heavier and colder.

The Lieutenant cleared his throat.
"We are on our own, men. Return to
the ship as best we can — those are the
orders. We will make a dash for it, each
man for himself. No rescues, mind!
Everyone will have an equal chance to
get across."

"But we have no chance at all," Willie
blurted out. "Surely they can do some-
thing, sir! Why wouldn't space-suits
keep the bugs out?"

The Lieutenant studied him sternly
but when he spoke his voice was gentle.
"You have not been bitten, Thorgess.
The rubber is too thin. They would bite
right through it, probably get inside . . ."
He frowned and stopped talking abrupt-
ly.

"Besides," put in Kruts, "you can't

run in a space-suit." He turned to the
Lieutenant. "Now?" he asked.

"Hm'm! The bugs are probably too
toipid to move when it gets cold. At a
guess we might be perfectly safe after
dark."

Kruts said, "Who has a flashlight?"
Nobody answered. He continued, "So
we have no light. We won't find our
way among the thickets. We'll slip and
stumble — fall into holes or maybe walk
right into one of those cattle 'things.
Their horns could be very bad in the
dark. Even if we reach the other side —
how'll we climb up? There will be an
inch of frost over everything."

"Yes," said the Lieutenant. "Well,
those creatures must have some reaction
to cold: They must associate it with

134

darkness. Just possibly they get under
cover at the first hint of sunset — there's
no dusk here, of course. Our best chance
may be — say 17 :30 Mars time. An hour
and a half from now." He turned calm-
ly to his binoculars and notebook.

Willie looked at him in a daze, then
at Kruts, who was calming sleeping
again. Didn't they realize that they
would all be killed before the day ended?
What real chance had even one man to
get through those tireless circlers? The
Lieutenant was taking notes for his
book, eh? Well, some other biologist
would write it! Some other men would
go down in history as the first to settle
Mars.

History! Why, there wouldn't have
been any if a deadly thing like this had
lived back on earth. It was bullet-proof
— you couldn't even beat one to death
with a club ! He pictured himself trying
to and shuddered. He looked at the dis-
tant valley, like a green mirage in the
sunlight. Even if it could be settled
there was no thrill left there now.

Men would work only behind safe
walls with no exciting explorations
.around the countryside. But they would
be other men, this expedition would re-
turn to earth — a failure — three men
short. Then to his horror Willie felt a
tear begin to run down his nose.

The others must not see that, he
thought desperately. He bent over his
radio set, hurriedly tviping as he
stooped. For something to do he dialed
in the ultra-high frequency band where
he and DeVoo had noticed queer static
ever since the ship landed on Mars. Not
everyone could hold it for the band was
narrow and kept shifting frequency in a
rising-and-falling pattern.

His sensitive fingers caught and held
it now. To his surprise it was much
louder down here in the canyon. His
mind became a blessed blank as it always
did when he was receiving. He listened
to the thin, high whisper in his ear —
bub-bub-squee-bubble-quee-bub. His eyes
wandered unseeingly.

[Turn page]

ii

HAD NEVER WRITTEN A LINE . . . SELLS
ARTICLE BEFORE COMPLETING COURSE

"Before completing the N. X. A. course.
1 »la a feature to Scrcenland Mag ai ln c
for $50. That resulted In an immediate
ashliinmcnl to do another. After galnlm
confidence with successive feature stories,
I am now wortdnu Into the fiction field.
t'rcvlous to enrolling in N. X. A. I had
never written a line for uubUoatloo. nor
seriously eipccted to do so." — Geno K.
Levant. 116 West Ave.. Los Angeles 28.
California.

How do I get My Start
as a writer?"

. . . HERE'S THE ANSWER . . .

First, don't stop believing you can write; there is no
reason to think Jou can't write until you have tried. Don't
be discouraged if your first attempts are rejected. That
happens to the best authors, even to those who have "ar-
rived/' Remember, too, there is no age limit in the writing
profession. Conspicuous success has come to both young
and old writers.

Where to begin then? There is no surer way than to
get busy and write.

Gain experience, the "know how/' Understand how to
use words. Then you can construct the word-buildings
that now are vague, misty shapes in your mind*

O. Henry, Mark Twain, Kipling, Ring Lardner, just to
mention a few, all first learned to use words at a news-
paper copy desk. And the Newspaper Institute Copy Desk
Method is today helping men and women of all ages to
develop their writing talent . . . helping them gain their
first little checks of $26, $60 and $100*

Learn To Write by Writing

The Newspaper Institute of America ia a training school for
writers. Here your talents grow under the supervision of
seasoned writers and critics. Emphasis is placed on teaching
you by experience. We don't tell you to read this author and
that author or to study his style. We don't give you rules
and theories to absorb. The N. 1. A. aims to teach you to
express yourself in your own natural style. You work in
your own home, on your own time.

Each week you receive actual newspaper-type assignments
as though you worked on a large metropolitan daily. Your
stories are then returned to us and we put them under a
microscope, so to speak. Faults are pointed out. Suggestions
are made. Soon you discover you are getting the "feel" of
it, that professional touch. You acquire * natural, easy
approach. You can see where you're going.

When a magazine returns a story, one seldom knows the
roal reason for the rejection. They have no time to waste
giving constructive criticism. The N, I. A. tells you where
you are wrong, and why, and shows you what to do about it.

A Chance To Test Yourself — FREE

Our unique Writing Aptitude Test tells whether you pos-
sess the fundamental qualities necessary to successful writ-
ing — acute observation, dramatic instinct, imagination,
etc. You'll enjoy taking this test. It's FREE. Just mail the
coupon below and see what our editors think about you.
Newspaper Institute of America, One Park Avenue, New
York 16, N. Y, (Founded 1926.)

Newspaper Institute of America

One Park Avenue, New York 16, N. Y.

Send me without cost or obligation, your
Writing Aptitude Test and further informa-
tion about writing for profit, as promised in
Thrilling Fiction Group, March.

Mr. 1

Mrs. }
Miss J

Address

City Zone

All corr#*pond£nre confidential. No nlcjman

will

State
call.

94-C-S63

Copyright 1951, Newspaper Institute of America

135

In a vague way they noticed the black
runner circling the rocks — round and
round. The wavering sound had to be
followed up and down the dial in a re-
peating rhythm. Up and down — 'round
and 'round — it was several minutes be-
fore his tired brain put eye and ear to-
gether.

Then he sat up and said, "Jeepers!"

The how and why did not bother
Willie — he knew. He had worked too
long with guided missile controls to be
mistaken. If the rhythm were the same
for signal and beast it meant a direction
control — it must mean that. Each
change of frequency ordered a change
in direction — of course! And what was
more . . .

The Lieutenant was looking at him
strangely. Willie burst out with,
"What's more, we can walk away from
here whenever we like ! You remember
that HF squeal we've been getting on
Mars — DeVoe reported it yesterday ?
Well, I know what it is now. It's the
tiger-bugs' direction control — tells 'em
which way to run. Here, try it yourself,
sir."

Joliffe looked puzzled but his fingers
tried to follow the rise and fall of the
signal — lost it, found it again, lost it.
"Just what am I supposed to listen for?"
he asked.

"The signal goes up and down the fre-
quencies. Well, that tiger-bug thing
circles in exact time to it — don't you
get it?"

He looked sharply at Willie and tried
again. Then he grunted and a faint ex-
citement showed on his face. His fin-
gers were twisting away, his eyes intent,
when suddenly the signal rose in volume
until Willie could hear it buzzing angrily
out of the earpiece. The small black
beast was racing after one of the horned
browsers. The buzzing held a fixed fre-
quency, grew even louder, then ceased
altogether. So, Willie noticed, did the
chase.

Lieutenant Joliffe rubbed his ear. "It
simply can't be coincidence," he said.
"I'll be damned! But why do you say

we can walk away when we like?"

"Oh that. I think that will work. We
can send out interference on the same
frequencies. The set sends and receives
at the same time with the same con-
trols."

"By God, I suppose we could, Thor-
gess! Jam its sending station, so to
speak. But what is its sending sta-
tion ?"

"Dunno, sir. Don't care much if it
works all right."

"Well, let's try. See that one over
there? Find his frequency and see what
happens. Wait 'til I get these glasses
focused. Now, go ahead!"

But after a minute or two Willie shook
his head. "The rhythm's not the same
at all," he said.

"Hunt for another signal," snapped
the Lieutenant. "The frequency is prob-
ably different for each one — must be or
they'd get mixed up."

WILLIE searched up and down the
scale, found another and after a
minute of listening he nodded. "Ready,"
he said and flicked the sending switch.
The distant runner fell apart in full,
stride, melted to a black puddle on the
gray dust.

"Stop sending. Let's see what they
do then, Thorgess."

Willie flicked the switch. Their aim-
less wandering ceased and the tiger-
bugs began to group themselves- again
into legs, the legs began to join together.
The Lieutenant nodded, Willie flicked the
switch once more and the legs fell apart
again. m

"Very good indeed, Thorgess," said
the Lieutenant. "You'll get a promo-
tion out of this even if it" is your first
voyage. I wish I knew how it worked
though, or why. Something directs their
running. Whatever it is, it must be
where it can see over the shrubbery.
Partway up the canyon wall, perhaps."

"Could be a boss bug with maybe ex-
tra-big antennae for sending," sug-
gested Willie. "There'd be a different
one for each of these bug-beasts: If we

136

could find them all and smash 'em this
valley would be a swell place to live in."

They both had their glasses focused
on the far slope and spent ten minutes
searching it foot by foot. Twice they
saw things that looked like insect an-
tennae; once there was something that
Willie said was a long stalk with two
eyes on it. The Lieutenant pointed out
that they might all be just oddly-shaped
leaves.

"If you'll let me bring a party out to-
morrow with two or three radios, I can
get a fix on each sending station by cross
angles," said Willie at last.

The Lieutenant said, "Yes, there is go-
ing to be a tomorrow after all, isn't
there? A whole blessed string of them,
thank God!" He grinned happily at
Willie, who grinned back. Then they
wofte up Kruts and told him the news.

"What!" he yelled. "That damn little
box knocks 'em down when my rifle
can't! Show me — just show me!"

Willie made the nearest runner fall
apart. Kruts sat staring at the radio.
Then he asked if he could try it him-
self, so Willie showed him how, but
Kruts could not keep the frequency
tuned in.

Willie was patient but after a few
minutes of it he said, "Look, Kruts, let's
practise after we get back, eh? You
don't seem to get the feel of the radio,
somehow. Anyway I don't see why you
want to learn. You can come along to-
morrow if you want to, but bring your
rifle — you sure handle that like an ex-
pert."

The Lieutenant said, "All right, let's
go."

But Mown on the ground Willie found
a complication. He couldn't see over the
shrubbery. "It's no use if I can't see
them," he groaned. "I'd have to be
eight feet high to do it."

"Get up on my shoulders and you will
be," said Kruts. "Only for cripe's sake
sit easy on those bites."

Willie mounted, gripped hard with his
knees to leave both hands free and they

[Turn page]

AUDELS Carpenters
and Builders Guides

4 vols. $6

I n* id* Trad* Inf ormatioft
for Carpenters, BuMdcrs. Join-
•n*, Building Hachanicc *nd nil
Woodworker*. The** Guki©*
anvo yoa tbe short-cut in* I ruc-
tion t that too want— including
new method*. td**s, *o4uttomi.

fil*B*, ;.y. p *lc:n.i ami CDOOeV ■ »v -
o*t ■rmrsstinm All easy pro-
ero*stve course for the appren-
tice and student. A practical
dally helper and Quick Refer-
ence for tbe roaster worker*
Caxpeof ere everywhere are a**
in*; tj'.f.o Guide* a* a Belpin*;
Hand %o Eutirr Work. Better
Work and Belter Faj. To K *t

Jo* omittance for roorwif.
rm>lv nil in end

msiae iraae information un: maJiFRKE coupon b*iow_

flow to use the steel square — How to flic and
Bet sawa — How to build tumltunv — How to use
a mitre box — How to use the chalk line — How
to use rules and scales — How to make joints —
Carpenters arithmetic — Solving mensuration

ITOblems— Estimating strength of timbers-
low to set girders and gills — now to frame
houses and roofs — How to estimate costs — How
to build houses, barns. garaKes. bungalows, etc.
— How to read and draw plans — Drawing up
specifications— How to excavate — How to use
settings 12, 13 and 17 on the steel square — now
to build hoists and scaffolds — skylights— How
to build stairs — How to put on Interior trim — „ _

How to hang doors — How to I nth — lay floors — Flow to paint.

AUDEL, Publishers, 49 W. 23rd St, New York 10. m!"yT

Mail Audels Carpontor* and Builders Guide*. 4 vol**, Ofi 7 dm**' fro*

,f U!l: " V K l * wi !i r « m 't ** In 7 day* and SI monthly until $« fa p*M.
-Oth*rwf*o I wilt return thorn. Ho obligation unlet* I am ■atl-iNed.

Nairn

Addr***-

Occupation.

Empfoyod by.

THH

Sensational Device Tests Eyes

SAVE up to $15.00 on Glassesl

Hlg news to the millions of Spectacle
Wearers and Prospects. Means Freedom
from Outrageous Prices. Sold on MoDey-
baofc Guarantee.

MAKE BIG MONEY QU|CK— FREE SAMPLE KITI

Show It to friends and others. Let them use It Free and watch their
amazement over this Self Testing syntem. Here 1* a great new oppor-
tunity In a tremendous new field uf unlimited pose Ibill ties. Spar©
or full time. No experience needed. Write for Free sample kit*

C. G. Optical Co., Dept. JM13.20 E. Delaware PI, Chicafo 11 v II

<w MA HE EXTRA MONEY

EVERY BUSINESS EVERYWHERE
USES UNION LABEL BOOK MATCHES

No experience needed to earn big daily commissions .
Be* direct factory representative of the world'* larvett
exclusive UNION LABEL Book Match manufacturer
Prospects everywhere. Feature
Glamour Girls, Hillbillies,
sccnici and dozens of other
styles — Double Books — Jumbo
Books — nearly 100 color combi-
nations. New. biffirer portfolio
makes this fastest selling line
a real profit maker for you .
Write TODAY for full details.

lUil'UJJ

ooueuio

DISPUT

rj 'Lij

SUPERIOR MATCH CO.

137

D*pt. Pt-353 7528 S Greenwood Avt., Chicago 19, Illinois
Wett Co-*t $*le»m*n, writ* Box 10S7, tan Jom v Calif.

EAT ANYTHING
WITH FALSE TEETH

If you have trouble with plates that
slip, rock and cause sore gums — try
Brimms Plasti- Liner. One applica-
tion makes plates fit snugly without
powder or paste, because Brimms
Flasti-Liner hardens permanently to
your plate. Itreiinesand refits loose
plates in a way no powder or paste can do. Even on
old rubber plates you get. good results six months
co a year or longer. YOU CAN eat anything I Sim-
ply lay soft strip of Plasti-Uner on troublesome
upper or lower. Bite and it molds perfectly. Easy
to u$t 9 tasteless, odorless, harmless to you and your
plates. Removable as directed. Money back if not
completely Mtisfieaf^uA your druggist!

BRIMMS PLASTI LINER

THE PERMANENT DENTURE RELINER

Kwmt;vn AcrountiwU and C. IV A'* earn S4.000 to flO.ooOayt
ThQOMndf Of Armi need thorn. Wp train you thoroly at homo \n npmrm
time for C. P. A'« oxaminaUon* or oxocultv* accounting po« ( tion«.
|*rflTiou»o3tp«ri«nc*uonooo*«ary, Personal training under sawrrv^ion
of *Uff of C. P. A*i. Ptacrmrnt cotintufl and hrto. Write for rroo
book, •■ Accountancy . the Profem ion That Fnys.

LASALLE Extension University. 417 So. Dearborn St

A Correspondence Institution Oept. 3329H Chicago 5. Ill

HOW u>
BREAK

mi
TRAINj

SEND
FOR THIS

I

WKS

>:8s

Free Yourself

FROM

Tobacco Habit

If you want to stop smoking and just
can't, try world-famous no-to-dac
Lozenges. See how quickly no-to-bao
may help stop your craving for tobac-
co. Rush $1 to no-to-bac, for 7 days
supply. (For heavy smokers — 16 days'
supply— $2.) Satisfaction guaranteed
or money back. Write:

NO-TO-BAC CO.

DEPT. S HEWLETT, NEW YORK

Make money. Know how to break and
tralu horses. WriU today for this boot
FREE, toBethcr with epeniftl otter of
a courae lu Autmal Breeding. If you
are Interested In Calling and Riding tne aaddle
horse, check here ( ) Do it today — now.

BEERY SCHOOL OF HORSEMANSHIP

Dftpt. B23 Pleasant Hill, Ohio

RUPTURED?

Get Relief This Proven Way

Why try to worry along with trusses that goug« your
ftmh — press heavily on hipa and spine — enlarge opening-
fail to hold rupture? You need the Cluthe. No leg-straps
or cutting belts. Automatic adjustable pad holds at real
opening — follows every body movement with instant In-
creased support in case of strain. Cannot slip whether at
work or play. Light. Waterproof. Can be worn in bath.
Swid for amazing FREE book. "Advice To Ruptured, and
details of liberal truthful 60-day trial offer. Also endorac-
■vnu from grateful users in your neighborhood. Write:
CLUTHE SONS, Dept. 33, Bloomfield, New Jersey

started. He was nervous, keyed to a
high pitch. It was all up tq him and
this was it !

There were five of the deadly things
to watch for. He knew the general di-
rection of each and exactly where to find
its frequency on the radio controls.
There was one now.

His fingers flew. He flicked the
switch. Down it went.

There was another — and that fixed

him !

He suddenly felt invincible. He had
a dozen, hands, eyes all around his head."
The instant any small black shape
showed, he knocked it down — it was as
easy as that. Why, they were almost
across! The Lieutenant was grinning
and waving at the men waiting there,
men who shouted and stared as if they
could hardly believe their eyesr *

Kruts began chanting as he marched
along, "Hup, two, three, four. Hup, two,
three four!"

Willie wanted to shout and chant too
but his throat was all tightened up. His
head seemed to soar through the sky as
he rode along. It felt wonderful!

Everybody's

Chuckling

Over

JACK

VANCE'S

ABERCR0MB1E STAflON

A Novel of a Fat Matts Paradise
in the February

THRILLING WONDER STORIES

NOW ON SALE— 25c AT ALL STANDS!

138