THE report of the rifle was followed by a piercing death-scream, and one of the pursuers dropped in his tracks.
The rest, four in number, raised a hideous howl and came on.
As they approached, Wilson got a full view of the creatures, and the devilish horror of the Things paralysed him.
“Fire!” cried Garth again, and, stumbling forward almost to the engineer’s feet, he fell headlong, utterly exhausted.
His fall roused Wilson from his stupor, and, raising his rifle again, the engineer fired thrice in quick succession.
At the reports two more of the creatures fell, either dead or badly wounded, but the remaining two, with a snarling yelp, leapt close in to the attack.
One Wilson dropped almost at the muzzle of his rifle; then, ere he could fire again, the knife of the last flashed straight and true for his heart.
Quick as thought he leapt aside, but he was too late to escape the blow entirely.
With a shock that staggered him, the great blade buried itself in the fleshy part of his arm.
The sting of the knife seemed to rouse all the murderous hate in the engineer’s nature, and dropping his rifle, he gripped his fearsome opponent by the throat, and bore him, struggling furiously, to the ground.