from the falling wreck.

I was jerked out of my thoughts by the sight of an oncoming red blob.
Something was coming from the enemy ship, red with the sunlight and
earthlight, silvered by the Moon and the stars. It took form. It was a
disc, another of those cursed whirling discs, sent to annihilate me!

Then, when it was a quarter of a mile away, I saw that it was a disc
which was turning slowly. Rocket radiances came from its rotating
circumference; it came sailing directly at me, so swiftly that my own
velocity was futile.

Another minute and I was caught. I saw that the disc was some fifteen
feet in diameter, and that it bulged, so that within its convex floor
and ceiling was a space of several feet.

I cut off my power and with pounding heart lay waiting. The space-suit
had no weapons for equipment save a knife hung in the belt. I drew it
out, held it in my gloved fingers.

The disc sailed upon its level, vertical axis. Its rotation slowed; I
saw little windows set around its convex middle. It came up and bumped
me with its metal side. I kicked away, shoved off. Shapes were moving
in a dim interior light behind the port-panes. Little hand-beams of
radiance darted out. They seemed to seize me, draw me.

I found myself glued helplessly to the convex outer surface of the
disc. The rotation gathered speed again, but I looked presently only
at the gleaming surface to which I was pinned. Had I been a metal bar
upon the horns of an electro-magnet, I could not have been more
helpless.

An interval passed. With the contact plate of my fingers against this
hull it seemed that I could hear voices within, strange,
indistinguishable words. I twisted, but could not see into the port.

Again the rotation was slowing. The near shape of the enemy vessel
swung close and past; and again and again I saw that we were over it,
dropping down into the wide black opening of the funnel-top. It yawned
presently like a great black tunnel, into which we fell.

The jar of landing knocked me loose, and no doubt the attraction
radiance also released me. I fell another space, bounced up and sank
back. I thought that something like a sliding port-door closed over
me.

And then, in the dimness, figures were gripping me. I lashed and
struck, but the knife was wrenched away.

I was a prisoner in a pressure-port of the enemy ship!

8

It seemed that the small room had a very faint radiance showing
through my vizor pane. Narrow e