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The Invaders, by Benjamin Ferris
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Title: The Invaders
Author: Benjamin Ferris
Release Date: November 18, 2007 [EBook #23535]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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The Invaders
BY BENJAMIN FERRIS
Heading by Vincent Napoli
[Transcriber Note: This etext was produced from Weird Tales March 1951. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[Illustration: Magic--there's no such thing. But the crops were beginning to grow backwards....]
Big Joe Merklos was the first of them. He appeared at the Wide Bend National Bank one day, cash in hand. The charm of him, his flashing smile, the easy strength in his big body, were persuasive recommendations. But the bank's appraisal scarcely got that far. Wasn't he the first buyer in fifteen years for that bone-yard of lonely dreams, Dark Valley?
The county seat of Wide Bend presided over three valleys, corresponding to the forks of the Sallinook River. Once, Dark Valley had been the richest of these. Solid houses and barns stood among orchards laden with fruit, fields chock-full of heavy-bearded grain ... till, one Spri