Astounding Stories of Super-Science, August 1930

"My father had an old one," said the chief mate, Barnes. "How many times can they be fired without reloading?" Nat asked the old guard. "Ten times; sometimes more; and they were all freshly loaded yesterday." "Take us to where Axelson is." "First you must destroy the guards. I sent the one on duty here away on some pretext. But the others may be here at any moment. Talk lower. Are you going to kill them?" "We must," said Nat. The old fellow began to sob. "We were companions together. They seized us and imprisoned us together, the capitalists, years ago. I thought the proletariat would have won, and you say it is all different. I am an old man, and life is sad and strange." "Listen. Is Axelson in the house?" demanded Nat. "He is in his secret room. I do not know the way. None of us has ever entered it." "And Madge?" "She was with him. I do not know anything more." He sank down, groaning, broken. Nat pushed his way past him. It was fast growing light now. A ray of sunshine shot from beneath the edge of the dark sphere overhead, which still filled almost all the heavens. At that moment the hideous face and squat body of one of the Moon men came into view at the end of the path. The creature stopped, gibbering with surprise, and then rushed forward, mewing like a cat. Nat aimed his ray-rod and pressed the button. The streak of light, not quite aimed, in Nat's excitement, sheared off one side of the Moon man's face.