Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 3 — page 92: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

by A. Merritt Author of “ The Moon Pool,” “ The Conquest of the Moon Pool,” ete, (In collaboration with Dr. Walter T. Goedwin, Ph.D., I.A.S., F/R. G. S., etc.) IKE Mr. Merritt's narrative of “ The Moon Pool "* (published in All-Story Weekly, June 22, 1918), and “ The Conquest of the Moon Pool” (All-Story Weekly, February 15 to March 22, 1919), “The Metal Monster ” is published with the consent and autherity of the International Association of Science. After the expeditions deecribed in the earlier narratives, Dr. Walter T. Goodwin was placed at the head of a special bureau of the association and supplied with un- limited means to prosecute his investigations. Upon his recent return from Central Asia he gave Mr, Merritt the manuscript of his report, to be prepared for sia presentation. In its popularized form it is presented herewith. PRECEDING CHAPTERS BRIEFLY RETOLD HILE traveling in the mountains of Turkestan with Chiu-Ming, a Chinese, Dr. aadivin met Dick Drake, an American engineer. In a valley they saw a colossal imprint crushed into the stone with unthinkable force—a curved heel with four claws, each twenty feet long, extending from it. Next day, while traveling an ancient road that passed through a hollew, they were almost overcome by an unseen force that sapped their strength. Winning through they met an American girl, Ruth Ventnor, daughter of a scientist, and her brother Mart. From them they learned that one night two men, the first humans they had seen for months—had come close to their fire and discussed Ruth with exceeding frankness—in archaic Persian. Ruth showed Dr. Goodwin and Dick a number of small metal objects, that formed geomet- rical designs that moved, seemingly with intelligence, and fermed a bridge. Metal—with a brain! Attacked by the pursuing Persians the men were about to sell their lives as dearly as pos- sible when they saw standing in a fissure in the mountain the figure of a woman. At her com- mand hundreds of the metal objects—the “ Metal Things”—formed themselves into a giant that struck out and destroyed the attackers. The woman, in ancient Persian, told them-that she was “Norhala.” She was beautiful—but not entirely human. At her command they followed her into the fissure—which proved to be a passage hewed by human hands—and crossed a chasm on a bridge formed by the ‘“ Metal Things,” who then made themselves into a serpent and followed! Later, at Norhala’s order, they mounted platforms formed by the ‘ Metal Things”’ and were swept away throt&h the mists-and through an opening in the mountain’s wall. . CHAPTER XV. Ruth and Norhala. In the strange light of the place into which we had emerged— and whether that place was canon, corridor, Um that threshold the mists foamed or tunnel I could not then determine—it THE THING THAT FOLLOWED. like breaking billows; ceased abrupt- stood out sharply, with stereoscopic vivid- — ly to be. Keeping exactly the dis- ness. tance I had noted when our gaze had risen One arm of Norhala held Ruth—and in above the fog, glided the block that bore her attitude I sensed a shielding intent, This story began in the Argosy-Allstory Weekly for August 7. 466 s original from COMMICLOOOLKKS — Disttized by (GO gle THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY