And now Hendricks, who was peering over the ruffled edge of an undulating, rubbery leaf of seaweed, turned and waved both arms. Disobeying my strictest orders, he fairly screamed his frantic warning: "He sees us! He sees us! He's coming!" I ran up the twisted, concave surface of a giant stem of some kind. To my left, I could hear the shrill whine of Correy's disintegrator ray generator, already in action, and protesting against a maximum load. To the right, Hendricks and his men were scrambling into position. Before me was the enemy. Slowly, deliberately, as though he did not doubt his terrible ability, he unwrapped his coils from the _Kabit_. His head, with its graceful antennae searching the air, and the tentacles around his mouth writhing hungrily, reared itself ten times a man's height from the ground. His small red eyes flashed like precious stones. Beyond, the mighty greenish coils slashed the rotting weed as he unwrapped them from the _Kabit_. I snatched off my menore and adjusted it again for maximum power. "Captain Gole!" "Yes. What's happening? Tell me! We're rolling and pitching." "In a moment you'll be free. When I signal 'Rise!' ascend as quickly as possible to a safe distance. Stand by!" "Hendricks! Be ready to follow Correy's plan. It's our only chance. In a second, now--" The last coil moved, slipped from the blunt nose of the liner. "Rise!" I ordered. "_Rise!_" I saw the ship rock suddenly, and roar hollowly toward the sky. I felt the rush of wind made by her passing. Then, head still elevated and swaying, the two great reddish-brown fins fanning the air like grotesque wings, the serpent lashed out towards us, coming at amazing speed. * * * * * Correy, sure that he was observed by the serpent, leaped down from the huge leaf upon which he had been standing. Hendricks and I, followed by our men, scrambled desperately toward the deep path or lane that Correy's ray had cut through the tangled, stinking growth. Correy's plan had given some promise of success, had we had time to put it into proper operation. As it was, neither Hendricks or I had had time to get into position. Hendricks, on my right, was working his way as rapidly as possible toward the path, but he had a long way to go. Unless a miracle happened, he would be too late to help. The portable ray machines would be helpless against such a mighty bulk, except at close range. I reached the path and glanced hastily to the right, the direction, from which the great serpent was sweeping down on us. He was less than the _Ertak's_ length away.