found four skeletons, an' four, ain't the
full crew for a ship like this. There oughta to be a couple more
somewhere. Carse, blast him! he's got nine lives. How do we know he
was one of the four?"

Another spoke up, as Rinker evidently hesitated. "I say we all go down
and investigate together."

"Stow it!" thundered Judd. "They didn't get their space-suits out, did
they? Why, they hadn't a chance to escape--none of 'em. They were
killed, every one, quick! And four's plenty to work this ship. Carse
is dead, see, dead! This was one trick he didn't know--one time he
couldn't worm out. He was clever, all right, but he couldn't quite
stack up against me. I swore I'd get him and I did. He's dead!"

"Judd," said a low, clear voice.

* * * * *

The Kite whirled around. He stared. The hand-flash he was holding
dropped to the deck with a clang. His hands went limp, and his voice
was suddenly weak and dazed.

"My God--Carse! Hawk Carse!"

"Yes," a whisper answered. "Hawk Carse. And not dead."

It was a scene that might have puzzled a newcomer to the frontiers of
space. Certainly there seemed to be nothing menacing about the slender
figure that stood by the now open man-hole, both arms hanging easily
at his sides; the advantage, on the contrary, appeared to be all with
the men whom he confronted. All but one was big, and each was fully
armed with a brace of ray-guns and knives.

But, though there were four guns to one, they made no attempt to draw.
For it was the Hawk they faced, the fastest, most accurate shot in all
those millions of leagues of space, and in his two icy eyes was a
menace that filled the control cabin with fine-drawn silence.

At last Judd the Kite opened his lips and wetted them.

"Where did you come from?" he stammered.

"No matter," came the answer from the thinly smiling mouth. "Friday!"

"Yes, suh!" boomed the big black's distant voice.

Judd's three men turned their heads and saw Carse's famous satellite
step into the control cabin, a ray-gun in each capacious hand. He was
all flashing white teeth, so wide was his grin.

"Well, well!" he chuckled. "Ain't this the pleasure! Certainly am
pleased to meet old friends like this--yes, suh! Jus' drop in?"

But the Kite's head had not turned; he seemed not to hear Friday's
words; his eyes were held fascinated by Carse's. The attention of
everyone came back to the two leaders.

"Ku Sui is in back of this?" asked the