thing so trivial in view of the urgency of the matter before us."
"What's to be done?" asked Captain Evered. "I have heard all Hughes can tell me."
"You accept, then," said the Professor, "my account in general of what has happened, and of where we now stand?"
"It would never occur to me," said Captain Evered, "to doubt your sincerity or competence to judge of this matter better than any man alive."
"It is a great relief," said Professor Rudge, "to know that you are with me."
"It was because I was certain of you that I first had the matter brought to your notice. At first I set it all down as a delusion of Macrae's; but Anderson converted me. Are you convinced that it is within the power of these beings to force themselves on human beings and act for their destruction?"
"I can speak from experience," said the Professor, "that, with mutual consent, this is within the power of the Venerians. There is now, alas! proof that the Martians can effect this transference without any such consent of their victim."
Telling the Captain of the "Sagitta" the Story
"You mean that it has happened in Macrae's case, and that his body is now animated by a Martian spirit?"
"Undoubtedly," said the Professor.
"Why," asked the Captain, "have they not made us all their victims?"
"Because," said the Professor, "the first part of the procedure appears to be something in the nature of hypnotism. To establish the necessary rapport, some channel of communication with the victim must exist. In the case of these powerful beings, the sound of their voice even on the telephone, wireless or otherwise, is sufficient."
"Still," said Captain Evered, "I do not understand"
"I see your point," said the Professor. "Our security is this. In the normal state, our sense of hearing is not acute enough to enable their voice to reach us. It is rendered so only in the abnormal state of receptivity set up by previous rapport existing between the speaker and listener."
"And this rapport was established between the Martian and Macrae"
"In some way," said the Professor, "through the Venerian, even to his surprise. The explanation of that lies far outside our present knowledge of the subject. While the method is a mystery, we have this isolated instance to prove that one mind can be made a sort of stepping-stone between two others, at least when one of them is a Martian."
"You consider, then," said Captain Evered, "that this difficulty of initial communication, which appears to be our only safeguard, is in consequence of the inter-planetary distance only."
"No doubt," was the reply.
"You maintain," said Captain Evered, "that at this moment there is a Martian within two or three miles of us, and in command of the greatest radio station existing?"
"I am glad," said Professor Rudge, "that you have seen this. It is convincing proof that you appreciate our peril. If the Martian were in absolute control of the Station X installation we should not now be sitting here. After Hughes and I had already started to make a bolt thither, it flashed across my mind that running would be useless, so I rushed back to the signal-room and detached the vacuum tubes from both instruments—and there they are!"
Disabling the Sending Set
The Professor produced from his pocket the two vacuum tubes and put them on the table.
"They are," he added, "at once indispensable and irreplaceable from any material on the island."
Captain Evered looked at Rudge with frank admiration. Then after a pause he said, "I am not going to attempt any communication with Station X; we'll leave it alone. I hope to God its present occupant will leave us alone."
"I think he'll have to," said Professor Rudge.
"Well, as to that I rely on you," said Captain Evered.
"You remember, Professor Rudge," said Dr. Anderson, "what the Venerian said—that the Martian's performance always surpasses anticipation."
"Yes," said the Professor gravely; "there is no knowing what the Martian may be able to do in the way of replacing the lost tubes. His chemistry may be capable of transmuting the elements."
"Suppose," said Anderson, "our wireless operator received a call from Station X."
Captain Evered looked swiftly from Anderson to Professor Rudge.
"Just now," said the Professor to Captain Evered, "you referred to taking measures for the Martian's extermination. Would you take those measures now?"
"Would you advise a landing party?" asked Captain Evered.
"No," said the Professor, "the risk is too great. The Venerian warned me that compared with the Martians we are as children. Further, there is this that we have to reckon with. There are three men on the island, and any one of these may now be the Martian."
The Professor's words seemed to bring vividly to his hearers' minds the tremendous power and subtlety of the enemy.
"But," continued the Professor, "you have good guns on board." He looked at Captain Evered.
"They would scarcely do our business so far as the Martian is concerned," was the reply. "One of the reasons why this island was chosen is that owing to its contour, nothing but the surrounding cliff is visible from the sea. Perhaps if we had an observation balloon—but we haven't. Is that your solution, Professor?"
"The guns, yes," was the reply. "Suppose the Martian can replace the missing tubes. Our only hope is to blow the whole installation to atoms!"
The suggestion seemed rather to stagger the two men. For a few seconds Captain Evered looked at Professor Rudge without speaking, evidently revolving the idea in his mind.
"Well," he said at length, "so far as I am concerned, I have crossed the Rubicon. They say one may as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb. Having taken the responsibility of acting without official authority, the only logical course is to follow where-
