"And what about you, Terryhall?"
Terry stood in the clearing, looking at the Mercurian. The young man's face was pale and green beneath the corona glow.
"This is a war of the worlds, Chomby," he said. "It's a fight between your race and mine. It's a Waterloo for one of us."
"You haven't a chance, Terryhall. You know the power of this gun."
Terry's lips tightened into a thin, straight line. His body crouched for an instant and then he sprang. The terrestrial muscles sent him shooting toward Chomby. His feet touched the ground again, and like steel springs he shot forward a second time.
Chomby's fingers tightened on the trigger of the weapon. They seemed to twitch.
Cappy closed his eyes.
An inhuman scream rent the Mercurian air. But the gun did not go off.
Cappy opened his eyes to see Terry and the monster rolling on the ground. Terry's fingers were closed about the Mercurian's throat. Chomby struggled feebly, and then lay still.
Terry rose, picked up the gun and motioned to Cappy.