* * * * *

But he had not. We saw him again, out in a distant patch of
Earthlight. He was further from us than before, but on still higher
ground. We had extinguished our small helmet-lights. But he knew we
were here, and possibly he could see us. His projector flashed again.
But we had again shifted, and were untouched. He was a hundred feet or
more away now. His weapon was of longer range than mine. I did not
answer his fire, for I could not hope to hit him at such a distance,
and the flash of my weapon would help him with his aim.

I murmured to Anita, "We must get out of here."

Yet how did I dare take Anita from these concealing shadows? Miko
could reach us so easily as we bounded away, in plain view in the
Earthlight of the open summit! We were caught, at bay in this little
bowl.

The camp from here was not visible. But out through the broken gully,
beyond the staircase top, a white beam of light suddenly came up from
below.

"_Haljan._"

It spelled the signal.

"_Haljan._"

It was coming from the Grantline instrument room, I knew.

I could answer it with my helmet-light, but I did not dare. I
hesitated.

"Try it," urged Anita.

* * * * *

We crouched where we thought we might be safe from Miko's fire. My
little light-beam shot up from the bowl. It was undoubtedly visible to
the camp.

"_Yes? I am Haljan._"

And I added:

"_Help! Send us help._"

I did not mention Anita. Miko could doubtless read these signals. And
in the camp they must have missed Anita by now. They answered:

"_Cannot_--"

I lost the rest of it. There came a flash from Miko's weapon. But it
gave us confidence. He could not reach us at the moment.

The Grantline beam repeated:

"_Cannot come out. Portes broken. You cannot get in. Stay where you
are--an hour or two. We may be able to repair portes._"

The portes were broken! Stay here an hour or two! But I could not hold
this position against Miko that long! Sooner or later he would find a
place from where he could sweep this bowl beyond possibility of our
hiding. I saw him running now, well beyond my range, to ferret out
another point of vantage.

I extinguished my light. What use was it to tell Grantline anything
further? Besides, my light was dangerous.

But the Grantline beam spelled another message:

"_The brigand ship is coming! It will be here before we can get out to
you! No lights! We will try an