a second
enemy's hands. The Connie Rip had rocketed down on was still lying where
he had fallen. And Corporal Santos, the enemy's pneumatic chattergun at
the ready, was standing guard.

Rip turned up the volume in his communicator. He tried to sound calm, but
the shakiness of triumph and excitement was in his voice. "All Planeteers.
We have the Connie snapper-boats. Koa, bring your men here."

He felt someone working on his arm and turned to see Corporal Pederson,
his face one vast grin in the glare from Dowst's belt light. "Koa didn't
need me," he said.

Rip grinned back. "Nunez," he called. "How are things at the cave?"

"Sir, this is Nunez. Two Connies were prowling around, but they didn't see
the entrance. Then, a minute ago, they turned and hurried away."

Rip considered. "Koa. How many Connies have you?"

"Four, sir."

With the five he and Dowst had taken, that meant four still at large, and
from Nunez's report, some Connie yelling had been going on. The four
certainly knew by this time there were Federal men on the asteroid. Unless
something were done quickly the four Connies would be shooting at them
from the darkness. He ordered, "All Planeteers. Kill your belt lights."

The lights on the Connies they had just taken still glowed. Dowst was
putting a patch on the Connie Rip had stabbed. He waited until the private
had finished, then said, "Turn out the Connie lights, too."

If he could get in touch with the Connies, he could tell them they were
finished. But using the snapper-boat radios was out, because the enemy
cruiser would hear. The cruiser couldn't hear the helmet communicators,
though, because they carried only a short distance. The cruiser was close
enough so that a helmet communicator turned on full volume might barely be
heard, although it was unlikely.

He couldn't stick his head in a Connie helmet, but he could talk to a
Connie by direct communication and have him give instructions.

There was complete darkness with all belt lights out, but he groped his
way to the Connie Dowst had been patching, felt for his helmet, and put
his own against it. He yelled, "Do you hear me?"

"Yes." Then, "Why did you patch me?"

It was a perfect opening. "Because we don't want to kill you. Listen. We
have all but four of you. Understand?"

"Yes. What will you do with us?"

"Treat you as prisoners. If you behave. Get on your communicator and tell
those four men to surrender. Tell them to come to the bo