move　slowly　his　tremendously　long　arms　in　easy；　soothing　motion；　the　hands　running　along　the　floor　upon　their　talons　in　arcs　and　circles。　It　was　curious　how　these　hands　seemed　to　be　endowed　with　a　volition　of　their　own；　independent　of　the　arms　upon　which　they　swung。
  And　now　I　could　see　only　the　hands；　shuttling　so　smoothly；　so　rhythmically　back　and　forthweaving　so　sleepily；　so　sleepily　back　and　forthblack　hands　that　dripped　sleep　hypnotic。
  Hypnotic！　I　sprang　from　the　lethargy　closing　upon　me。　In　one　quick　side　glance　I　saw　Drake's　head　nodding　nodding　in　time　to　the　movement　of　the　black　hands。　I　jumped　to　my　feet；　shaking　with　an　intensity　of　rage　unfamiliar　to　me；　thrust　my　pistol　into　the　wrinkled　face。
  〃Damn　you！〃　I　cried。　〃Stop　that。　Stop　it　and　turn　your　back。〃
  The　corded　muscles　of　the　arms　contracted；　the　claws　of　the　slithering　paws　drew　in　as　though　he　were　about　to　clutch　me；　the　ebon　pools　of　eyes　were　covered　with　a　frozen　film　of　hate。
  He　could　not　have　known　what　was　this　tube　with　which　I　menaced　him；　but　its　threat　he　certainly　sensed　and　was　afraid　to　meet。　He　squattered　about；　wrapped　his　arms　around　his　knees；　crouched　with　back　toward　us。
  〃What's　the　matter？〃　asked　Drake　drowsily。
  〃He　tried　to　hypnotize　us；〃　I　answered　shortly。　〃And　pretty　nearly　did。〃
  〃So　that's　what　it　was。〃　He　was　now　wide　awake。　〃I　watched　those　hands　of　his　and　got　sleepier　and　sleepier　I　guess　we'd　better　tie　Mr。　Yuruk　up。〃　He　jumped　to　his　feet。
  〃No；〃　I　said；　restraining　him。　〃No。　He's　safe　enough　as　long　as　we're　on　the　alert。　I　don't　want　to　use　any　force　on　him　yet。　Wait　until　we　know　we　can　get　something　worth　while　by　doing　it。〃
  〃All　right；〃　he　nodded；　grimly。　〃But　when　the　time　comes　I'm　telling　you　straight；　Doc；　I'm　going　the　limit。　There's　something　about　that　human　spider　that　makes　me　itch　to　squash　himslowly。〃
  〃I'll　have　no　compunctionwhen　it's　worth　while；〃　I　answered　as　grimly。
  We　sank　down　again　against　the　saddlebags；　Drake　brought　out　a　black　pipe；　looked　at　it　sorrowfully；　at　me　appealingly。
  〃All　mine　was　on　that　pony　that　bolted；〃　I　answered　his　wistfulness。
  〃All　mine　was　on　my　beast；　too；〃　he　sighed。　〃And　I　lost　my　pouch　in　that　spurt　from　the　ruins。〃
  He　sighed　again；　clamped　white　teeth　down　upon　the　stem。
  〃Of　course；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃if　Ventnor　was　right　in　thatthat　disembodied　analysis　of　his；　it's　ratherwell；　terrifying；　isn't　it？〃
  〃It's　all　of　that；〃　I　replied；　〃and　considerably　more。〃
  〃Metal；　he　said；〃　Drake　mused。　〃Things　of　metal　with　brains　of　thinking　crystal　and　their　blood　the　lightnings。　You　accept　that？〃
  〃So　far　as　my　own　observation　has　goneyes；〃　I　said。　〃Metallic　yet　mobile。　Inorganic　but　with　all　the　quantities　we　have　hitherto　thought　only　those　of　the　organic　and　with　others　added。　Crystalline；　of　course；　in　structure　and　highly　complex。　Activated　by　magnetic…electric　forces　consciously　exerted　and　as　much　a　part　of　their　life　as　brain　energy　and　nerve　currents　are　of　our　human　life。　Animate；　moving；　sentient　combinations　of　metal　and　electric　energy。〃
  He　said：
  〃The　opening　of　the　Disk　from　the　globe　and　of　the　two　blasting　stars　from　the　pyramids　show　the　flexibility　of　the　outerplate　would　you　call　it？　I　couldn't　help　thinking　of　the　armadillo　after　I　had　time　to　think　at　all。〃
  〃It　may　be〃I　struggled　against　the　conviction　now　strong　upon　me〃it　may　be　that　within　that　metallic　shell　is　an　organic　body；　something　softanimal；　as　there　is　within　the　horny　carapace　of　the　turtle；　the　nacreous　valves　of　the　oyster；　the　shells　of　the　crustaceans　it　may　be　that　even　their　inner　surface　is　organic〃
  〃No；〃　he　interrupted；　〃if　there　is　a　bodyas　we　know　a　bodyit　must　be　between　the　outer　surface　and　the　inner；　for　the　latter　is　crystal；　jewel　hard；　impenetrable。
  〃GoodwinVentnor's　bullets　hit　fair。　I　saw　them　strike。　They　did　not　ricochetthey　dropped　dead。　Like　flies　dashed　up　against　a　rockand　the　Thing　was　no　more　conscious　of　their　striking　than　a　rock　would　have　been　of　those　flies。〃
  〃Drake；〃　I　said；　〃my　own　conviction　is　that　these　creatures　are　absolutely　metallic；　entirely　inorganic　incredible；　unknown　forms。　Let　us　go　on　that　basis。〃
  〃I　think　so；　too；〃　he　nodded；　〃but　I　wanted　you　to　say　it　first。　And　yetis　it　so　incredible；　Goodwin？　What　is　the　definition　of　vital　intelligencesentience？
  〃Haeckel's　is　the　accepted　one。　Anything　which　can　receive　a　stimulus；　that　can　react　to　a　stimulus　and　retains　memory　of　a　stimulus　must　be　called　an　intelligent；　conscious　entity。　The　gap　between　what　we　have　long　called　the　organic　and　the　inorganic　is　steadily　decreasing。　Do　you　know　of　the　remarkable　experiments　of　Lillie　upon　various　metals？〃
  〃Vaguely；〃　I　said。
  〃Lillie；〃　he　went　on；　〃proved　that　under　the　electric　current　and　other　exciting　mediums　metals　exhibited　practically　every　reaction　of　the　human　nerve　and　muscle。　It　grew　weary；　rested；　and　after　resting　was　perceptibly　stronger　than　before；　it　got　what　was　practically　indigestion；　and　it　exhibited　a　peculiar　but　unmistakable　memory。　Also；　he　found；　it　could　acquire　disease　and　die。
  〃Lillie　concluded　that　there　existed　a　real　metallic　consciousness。　It　was　Le　Bon　who　first　proved　also　that　metal　is　more　sensitive　than　man；　and　that　its　immobility　is　only　apparent。　（Le　Bon　in　〃Evolution　of　Matter；〃　Chapter　eleven。）
  〃Take　the　block　of　magnetic　iron　that　stands　so　gray　and　apparently　lifeless；　subject　it　to　a　magnetic　current　lifeless；　what　happens？　The　iron　block　is　composed　of　molecules　which　under　ordinary　conditions　are　disposed　in　all　possible　directions　indifferently。　But　when　the　current　passes　through　there　is　tremendous　movement　in　that　apparently　inert　mass。　All　of　the　tiny　particles　of　which　it　is　composed　turn　and　shift　until　their　north　poles　all　point　more　or　less　approximately　in　the　direction　of　the　magnetic　force。
  〃When　that　happens　the　block　itself　becomes　a　magnet；　filled　with　and　surrounded　by　a　field　of　magnetic　energy；　instinct　with　it。　Outwardly　it　has　not　moved；　actually　there　has　been　prodigious　motion。〃
  〃But　it　is　not　conscious　motion；〃　I　objected。
  〃Ah；　but　how　do　you　know？〃　he　asked。　〃If　Jacques　Loeb*　is　right；　that　action　of　the　iron　molecules　is　every　bit　as　conscious　a　movement　as　the　least　and　the　greatest　of　our　own。　There　is　absolutely　no　difference　between　them。
  〃Your　and　my　and　its　every　movement　is　nothing　but　an　involuntary　and　inevitable　reaction　to　a　certain　stimulus。　If　he's　right；　then　I'm　a　buttercupbut　that's　neither　here　nor　there。　Loeball　he　did　was　to　restate　destiny；　one　of　humanity's　oldest　ideas；　in　the　terms　of　tropisms；　infusoria　and　light。　Omar　Khayyam　chemically　reincarnated　in　the　Rockefeller　Institute。　Nevertheless　those　who　accept　his　theories　have　to　admit　that　there　is　essentially　no　difference　between　their　impulses　and　the　rush　of　filings　toward　a　magnet。
  〃Equally　nevertheless；　Goodwin；　the　iron　does　meet　Haeckel's　three　testsit　can　receive　a　stimulus；　it　does　react　to　that　stimulus　and　it　retains　memory　of　it；　for　even　after　the　current　has　ceased　it　remains　changed　in　tensile　strength；　conductivity　and　other　qualities　that　were　modified　by　the　passage　of　that　current；　and　as　time　passes　this　memory　fades。　Precisely　as　some　human　experience　increases　wariness；　caution；　which　keying　up　of　qualities　remains　with　us　after　the　experience　has　passed；　and　fades　away　in　the　ratio　of　our　sensitivity　plus　retentiveness　divided　by　the　time　elapsing　from　the　original　experience　exactly　as　it　is　in　the　iron。〃
  *　Professor　Jacques　Loeb；　of　the　Rockefeller　Institute；　New　York；　〃The　Mechanistic　Conception　of　Life。〃
  CHAPTER　XVI
  CONSCIOUS　METAL！
  〃Granted；〃　I　acquiesced。　〃We　now　come　to　their　means　of　locomotion。　In　its　simplest　terms　all　locomotion　is　progress　through　space　against　the　force　of　gravitation。　Man's　walk　is　a　series　of　rhythmic　stumbles　against　this　force　that　constantly　strives　to　drag　him　down　to　earth's　face　and　keep　him　pressed　there。　Gravitation　is　an　ethericmagnetic　vibration　akin　to　the　force　which　holds；　to　use　your　simile　again；　Drake；　the　filing　against　the　magnet。　A　walk　is　a　constant　breaking　of　the　current。
  〃Take　a　motion　picture　of　a　man　walking　and　run　it　through　the　lantern　rapidly　and　he　seems　to　be　flying。　We　have　none　of　the　awkward　fallings　and　recoveries　that　are　the　tempo　of　walking　as　we　see　it。
  〃I　take　it　that　the　movement　of　these　Things　is　a　conscious　breaking　of　the　gravitational　current　just　as　much　as　is　our　own　movement；　but　by　a　rhythm　so　swift　that　it　appears　to　be　continuous。
  〃Doubtless　if　we　could　so　control　our　sight　as　to　admit　the　vibrations　of　light　slowly　enough　we　would　see　this　apparently　smooth　motion　as　a　series　of　leapsjust　as　we　do　when　the　motion…picture　operator　slows　down　his　machine　sufficiently　to　show　us　walking　in　a　series　of　stumbles。
  〃Very　wellso　far；　then；　we　have　nothing　in　this　phenomenon　which　the　human　mind　cannot　conceive　as　possible；　therefore　intellectually　we　still　remain　masters　of　the　phenomena；　for　it　is　only　that　which　human　thought　cannot　encompass　which　it　need　fear。〃
  〃Metallic；〃　he　said；　〃and　crystalline。　And　yetwhy　not？　What　are　we　but　bags　of　skin　filled　with　certain　substances　in　solution　and