Thorn swept her behind him, and he and his comrades and their two glowing friends sprang to repel the assault of the shining horde. With rocks, with their fists, with their clubbed atom-pistols, they beat back their insensate attackers.
But again and again the radioactive men came up at them. Time was dragging past. Thorn felt as though he were struggling in an endless nightmare of horror and despair.
The radioactive attackers had limbs broken, bodies crushed in many places — yet still they came on. The flame of strange energy and life that throbbed in every atom of their bodies could not be extinguished or dimmed by any bodily harm.
As the glowing men below gathered for another charge up the rock wall,
Clymer Nison spoke to the exhausted, staggering Planeteers.
"I may be able to turn them,” said the space-pioneer. “It is a chance to stop Cheerly.."
Thorn saw Nison step to the edge of the ledge and speak to the radioactive horde gathering again below. “There is no use in attacking us any longer!” Nison cried to them. “We do not have the radite. Those who took it from the niche have fled with it, and are escaping!"
A chorus of insanely raging yells answered him, as the half-crazy horde started forward to climb again to the attack. But a huge Jovian among the glowing horde held back his companions.
"Clymer Nison speaks truth!” he shouted. “See, the radite is gone from the ledge and so are some of the men. We must scatter and search for the thieves!"
"Scatter and search!” went up the husky, furious shout from the radioactive mob.