out--walked into the house. Nobody missed him for the time, the rest

being occupied with the barrels of paraffin, and the first intimation

they had of his separation from them was the report of his gun and the

whizz of his bullet. "Bang, bang," both barrels, and his first bullet it

seems went through the cask of sulphur, smashed out a stave from the

further side, and filled the air with yellow dust. Redwood had kept his

gun in hand and let fly at something grey that leapt past him. He had a

vision of the broad hind-quarters, the long scaly tail and long soles of

the hind-feet of a rat, and fired his second barrel. He saw Bensington

drop as the beast vanished round the corner.

Then for a time everybody was busy with a gun. For three minutes lives

were cheap at the Experimental Farm, and the banging of guns filled the

air. Redwood, careless of Bensington in his excitement, rushed in

pursuit, and was knocked headlong by a mass of brick fragments, mortar,

plaster, and rotten lath splinters that came flying out at him as a

bullet whacked through the wall.

He found himself sitting on the ground with blood on his hands and lips,

and a great stillness brooded over all about him.

Then a flattish voice from within the house remarked: "Gee-whizz!"

Hullo!" said Redwood.

Hullo there!" answered the voice.

The Food of the Gods and How It Came to Earth