Past the priestess, past the Shining One, they carried it; fifty of them to each side of the ram; and behind them stepped--Marakinoff! Larry awoke to life.
"Now, thank God," he rasped, "I can get that devil, anyway!" He drew his pistol, took careful aim.

Even as he pressed the trigger there rang through the abode a tremendous clanging.

The ram was battering at the gates.

O'Keefe's bullet went wild.

The Russian must have heard the shot; perhaps the missile was closer than we knew.