Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 4, 1925 — page 105: what you’re looking at

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

THE RADIO BEASTS. their rifles, but also were taking advantage of the cover. Sniping between both sides continued without results. Finally one of the ants held up two crossed sticks—the Porovian flag of truce— and Cabot stepped out into the open for a conference. Then, with a cry of glad sur- prise, he recognized the Iormian. It was none other than the ant who had captured him on his first day on this planet, and rescued him from the carnivorous plant, had saved him from his enemy—the ant called ‘‘ Satan ’—had acted as his defense counsel in his trial before Queen Formis and had been his and Lilla’s friend in Kuana. ‘“ Doggo!” he exclaimed, ** what are you doing here? I haven't seen you, or heard of you, since Peace Day, 358.” “Fighting for my own country, of course.” laconically replied Doggo. ** But to get down to business: ‘ A life for a life.’ In your accursed ‘ War of Liberation,’ you very kindly gave orders that I was to be spared. I now spare your life, for that and for old time’s sake. But I must ask you to surrender unconditionally.” “What then?’ queried Cabot. ‘“‘] shall then take you to Nuana as a prisoner,’ answered the ant. “1 cannot promise that there your life will be spared, bui I will use every bit of my influence, which is apt to be great, as [ am now the winko of the entire air navy of Formia. You know me well enough to depend upon my word.” ‘* Yes, Doggo, old friend, I do,” said Ca- bot. He thought intently for a moment, then tuned his radio set to a shorter wave length and hastily addressed the bee: ‘‘ Are you so badly hurt that you cannot reach headquarters?” “TI think not,” was the reply. ‘Then tell Hah Babbuh that I go to Kuana a prisoner—to rescue the Princess Lilla.’ “But how can [I tell him?’ asked the bee, ‘‘ seeing as you, alone of all the Cu- pians, can hear our speech, although all of us Hymernians can hear all of you.” That indeed presented a complication which had never before occurred to the radio man. The ability of the bees to receive on tne wave length of the Cupians had been 895 all that had been necessary for tactical purposes, and any communications from the bees had always been transmitted through Cabot. But at last he had an inspiration, which he explained as follows: ‘Of course, I do not know how much you Hymernians understand about radio. Have you ever observed Cupians in battle forma- tion?” ‘Many times,’’ reptied the bee. ‘Then undoubtedly you have noticed the little boxes which our officers wear strapped upon their heads between their antenne.”’ The bee assented. Cabot continued: ‘ These are selective sending and receiving sets. Each one con- tains a wave trap, which silences the radia- tions of ordinary speech. You know how it is that you bees speak at a different wave length from the Cupians. Well, these boxes contain a wave length adjuster, which. by much the same principle, enables the oi- ficers to send to each other at different wave lengths, above the din of battle.” ‘I get the general idea,” said Portheris. ‘“Go then to Toron,” directed Myles. “ Speak to him, and point with your paw to his selective set. Perhaps that will sug- gest to him to tune the instrument to your wave length, and perhaps your wave length is within the range of that instrument. At all events, it is our only chance.” At this point, noticing that Doggo was frantically agitating his antenna, the radio man tuned back to Doggo’s wave length just in time to hear him say: ‘“ Come, my friend, reply to my offer. Will you, or will vou not, surrender?” “YT surrender,” replied Cabot, ‘“‘ but on one condition, namely, that you spare the life of my faithful bee.” “Granted,” said Doggo. “ From hence- forth you are my prisoner.” CHAPTER XVI. THE BEASTS OF KUANA. ND so Portheris, the whistling bee, re- turned to headquarters with his mes- Sage. And so Cabot, the earth-man, returned southward in a few parths to the city from Conn GIOok