und before
we go to work on him--so we don't have so far to fall if anything goes
screwy with the works. Here's hoping nothing gives away!"

The _Sirius_, almost against the flaming screens of the Jovian, and both
vessels very close to the surface of the satellite, Brandon tested the
power leads briefly, adjusted dials and coils, then touched the button
which actuated the relays--relays which in turn drove home the gigantic
switches that launched a fearsome and as yet untried weapon. Instantly
released, the full seven hundred thousand kilofranks of their stupendous
batteries of accumulators drove into the middle frequency of the
attacking band, and Brandon's heart was in his mouth as he stared into
the plate to see what would happen. He saw! Everything in the _Sirius_
held fast, and under the impact of the inconceivable plane of force, the
screens of the enemy vessel flared instantly into an even more intense
incandescence and in that same fleeting instant went down, and all
defenses vanished as the metal sphere fell apart into two halves, as
would an apple under the full blow of a broad-axe.

Brandon quickly shut off his power and stared in relief into the central
compartment of the globular ship of space, now laid open, and saw there
figures, one or two of which were moving weakly. As he looked, one of
these feebly attempted to raise a peculiar, tubular something toward a
helplessly fettered body. Even as Brandon snatched away the threatening
weapon with a beam of force, he recognized the captive.

"Great Cat, there's Breckenridge!" he gasped, and directed a lifting
beam upon the bound and unconscious prisoner. Rapidly, but carefully, he
was brought through the double airlock and into the control room, where
his shackles were cut away and where he soon revived under vigorous and
skilful treatment.

"Any more of you in there? Did I hit any of you with that beam?"
demanded Brandon, intensely, as soon as Breckenridge showed signs of
understanding.

"King's in there somewhere, and there's a Callistonian human being that
you mustn't kill," the chief pilot replied, weakly and with great effort
in every word. "Don't believe that you hit anybody direct, but the shock
was pretty bad." Having delivered his message, he lay back, exhausted.

"All x. Crown, give me a squad...."

"Not on your life!" barked the general. "This is my job and I'll do it
myself. Your job is fighting the _Sirius_--stay with it!"

"Not in seven t