f dozen of the pods, and threw them through the
open doorway with a savage gesture. "You trying to put one over on
me?" he bellowed.

"How can I?" Van retorted mildly. "I haven't touched a handwheel." He
was wondering vaguely whether this lunar seed would grow in earthly
soil; what sort of a plant it would produce under the new environment.

Kelly was becoming nervous now. It seemed that little was to be gained
by hanging around this crazy man's laboratory. He had a sizable
fortune in rough stones already. That big one alone, when properly cut
into smaller stones, would make him independent. Maybe there weren't
any more, anyway. And the longer he stayed the greater chance there
was of getting caught.

The advent of another of the pods decided him. A quick blow with the
butt of his pistol stretched Van on the floor and Kelly fled the
scene.

* * * * *

Bart was pounding furiously on the cellar door when Van first took
hazy note of his surroundings. Several uncertain minutes passed before
he was able to stagger across the room and release his friend.

"Where is he?" Bart demanded, swaying on his feet and blinking in the
sudden light.

"Gone. Socked me and beat it with the diamonds." Van was mopping the
blood from his eyes with a handkerchief. "Are you hit bad?" he
inquired.

"No, just a flesh wound. Hurts like the devil, though. How about
yourself?" Bart limped to his side and sighed with relief when he
examined his bleeding scalp. "Not so bad yourself, old man. Where's
your first aid kit?"

Van was still somewhat dazed and merely pointed to the cabinet. "Fine
pair we turned out to be!" he grumbled after his head had cleared a
bit under Bart's vigorous cleansing of the cut on his temple. "Here we
stood, meek as a couple of lambs, and let that guy get away with
murder."

"Yeah, but those forty-fives made the difference. Ouch!" Bart winced
as his friend poured fresh iodine over the wound in his leg. "Have a
heart, will you?"

They were startled into silence by a hoarse, strangled scream that
came from outside the laboratory. "Help! Help!" someone repeated in a
panicky voice--a voice which at once ended on a gurgled note of
despair.

"It's Kelly!" Bart whispered. "He's come back. Something's happened to
him." He started for the open door.

"Wait a minute. It may be a trick to get us outside where he can pop
us off."

"No, it isn't. For God's sake, look!" Bart had reached th