"That," Van was saying, "is a prominent crater near the Mare Nubium. The spot under the cross-hairs is that from which I have obtained the diamonds--and other things. Watch this now, Bart." The young broker straightened up and saw that his friend was removing the cover from a crystal bowl that was attached to the lower end of the copper tube that pointed to the heavens at the same ascension and declination as the telescope. The air of the room vibrated to a strange energy when he closed a switch that lighted a dozen vacuum tubes in the apparatus that lined the wall. "You say you bring the stuff here with a light ray?" he asked. "No, I said with the speed of light. This tube projects a ray of vibrations--like directional radio, you know--and this ray has a component that disintegrates the object it strikes and brings it back to us as dissociated protons and electrons which are reassembled in the original form and structure in this crystal bowl. Watch." A misty brilliance filled the bowl's interior. Intangible shadowy forms seemed to be taking shape within a swirling maze of ethereal light that hummed and crackled with astounding vigor. Then, abruptly, the apparatus was silent and the light gone, revealing an odd object that had taken form in the bowl. "A starfish!" Bart gasped. "Yeah, and fossilized." Van handed it to him and he took it in his fingers gingerly as if expecting it to burn them. * * * * * The thing was undoubtedly a starfish, and of light, spongy stone. Its color was a pale blue and the ambulacral suckers were clearly discernible on all five rays. "Lord! You're sure this is from the moon?" Bart turned the starfish over in his hand and gazed stupidly at his friend. "Certainly, you nut. Think I had it up my sleeve? But here, watch again, there's something else." The crackling, misty light again filled the bowl. "Suppose," Bart ventured, "you bring in something large--big as a house, let's say. What would it do to your machine?" "Can't. The ray'll only pick up stuff that'll enter the bowl. Look--here's the next arrival." The mysterious light died down and the scientist picked up the second object with trembling fingers. It was a knife of beautiful workmanship, fashioned from obsidian and obviously the work of human hands. "There! Didn't I tell you?" Van gloated. "Guess that shows there were living beings on the moon." He made minute changes in the adjustment of his marvelous instrument and Bart watched in dazed astonishment as object after object materialized before their eyes. There were fragments of strange minerals; more fossils, marine life, mostly; a roughly beaten silver plate; three diamonds, none of which was as large as what Van had taken to New York, but all of considerable value. "This'll be something for the papers, Van!" Bart Madison was visioning the fame that was to come to his friend. "Yeah, all but the diamonds." * * * * *