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289
Astounding Stories of Super-Science, August 1930
·
Various
21
Forepaugh
eased
into
a
rock
cleft
at
his
side.
Just
in
time.
A
great
grotesque
head
bore
down
upon
him,
many-fanged
as
a
medieval
dragon.
Between
obsidian
eyes
was
a
fissure
whence
emanated
a
wailing
and
a
foul
odor.
Hundreds
of
short,
clawed
legs
slithered
on
the
rocks
under
a
long
sinuous
body.
Then
it
seemed
to
leap
into
the
air
again.
Webs
grew
taut
between
the
legs,
strumming
as
they
caught
a
strong
uphill
wind.
Again
it
turned
to
the
attack,
and
missed
them.
This
time
Forepaugh
was
ready
for
it.
He
shot
at
it
with
his
flash
pistol.
Nothing
happened.
The
fog
made
accurate
shooting
impossible,
and
the
gun
lacked
its
former
power.
The
web
serpent
continued
to
course
back
and
forth
over
their
heads.
"Guess
we'd
better
run
for
it,"
Forepaugh
murmured.
"Go
'head!"
They
cautiously
left
their
places
of
concealment.
Instantly
the
serpent
was
down
again,
persistent
if
inaccurate.
It
struck
the
place
of
their
first
concealment
and
missed
them.
"Run!"
They
extended
their
weary
muscles
to
the
utmost,
but
it
was
soon
apparent
that
they
could
not
escape
long.
A
rock
wall
in
their
path
saved
them.
"Hole!"
the
Martian
gasped.
Forepaugh
followed
him
into
the
rocky
cleft.
There
was
a
strong
draft
of
dry
air,
and
it
would
have
been
next
to
impossible
to
hold
the
Martian
back,
so
Forepaugh
allowed
him
to
lead
on
toward
the
source
of
the
draft.
As
long
as
it
led
into
the
mountains
he
didn't
care.
The
natural
passageway
was
untenanted.
Evidently
its
coolness
and
dryness
made
it
untenable
for
most
of
Inra's
humidity
and
heat
loving
life.
Yet
the
floor
was
so
smooth
that
it
must
have
been
artificially
leveled.
Faint
illumination
was
provided
by
the
rocks
themselves.
They
appeared
to
be
covered
by
some
microscopic
phosphorescent
vegetation.
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