Jim was being dragged forward, with Lucille beside him, old Parrish following, still making a futile struggle for life, while pitiful screeches issued from his mouth.
Jim saw the revolving arms descend within a foot of his head. One more fight—one more, the last.
Suddenly, with loud yells, a band of Drilgoes leaped forward from the head of the stairs and rushed upon the struggling priests and victims. And, dark as it was, Jim recognized their leader—Cain.
And Cain knew Lucille. As the priests rallied for a desperate resistance, Cain hurled his great body through the air, landing squarely upon the shoulders of the priest nearest the revolving arms, and knocking him flat.
Then the arms caught priest and Drilgo, and the steel hooks dug deep into their flesh. A screech of terror, a howl that reverberated through the amphitheatre, and nothing remained of either but a heap of macerated flesh.
But in that instant Jim had fought free again. He caught Lucille and dragged her back toward the Atom Smasher.
ode had already broken from his captors and was working at it frantically.
"Hold on!" screeched old Parrish. "Hold on!"