But he did not lift the little cube.

The best he could do was to drag it, against mighty resistance, to the edge of the trap; and with a last, mighty heave, project it into space.
As it left the trap, _Nissr_ rocked and swayed, showing how great a weight had been let drop.

Down sped the little, netted cube, whirling in the sunlight.

Its speed was almost that of a rifle-ball--so far in excess of anything that could have been produced by gravitation as to suggest that some strange, magnetic force was hurling it earthward, like a metal-filing toward an electro-magnet.

It dwindled to nothing, in a second, and vanished.
All peered over the rail, eager with anticipation.