swaying ship.
Queer-looking figure! Heavy flannel shirt and trousers, boots heavily
weighted, and bulky metal-loaded belt strapped about his waist.

He grinned at Swenson. "When we divide this treasure, everyone will be
happy, Ollie."

The treasure was estimated by Grantline to be the equivalent of ninety
millions in gold-leaf. A hundred and ten millions in the gross as it now
stood, with twenty millions to be deducted by the Federated Refiners for
reducing it to the standard purity of commercial radium. Ninety
millions, with only a million and a half to come off for expedition
expenses, and the _Planetara_ Company's share another million. A nice
little stake.

Grantline strode across the room with his rolling gait.

"Cheer up, boys. Who's winning there? I say, you fellows--"

An audiphone buzzer interrupted him, a call from the duty man in the
instrument room of the nearby building.

Grantline clicked the receiver. The room fell into silence. Any call was
unusual--nothing ever happened here in the camp.

The duty man's voice sounded over the room.

"Signals coming! Not clear. Will you come over, Commander?"

Signals!

* * * * *

It was never Grantline's way to enforce needless discipline. He offered
no objection when every man in the camp rushed through the connecting
passages. They crowded the instrument room where the tense duty man sat
bending over his helio receivers. The mirrors were swaying.

The duty man looked up and met Grantline's gaze.

"I ran it up to the highest intensity. Commander. We ought to get
it--not let it pass."

"Low scale, Peter?"

"Yes. Weakest infra-red. I'm bringing it up, even though it uses too
much of our power." The duty man was apologetic.

"Get it," said Grantline shortly.

"I had a swing a minute ago. I think it's the _Planetara_."

"_Planetara!_" The crowding group of men chorused it. How could it be
the _Planetara_?

But it was. The call presently came in clear. Unmistakably the
_Planetara_, turned back now from her course to Ferrok-Shahn.

"How far away, Peter?"

The duty man consulted the needles of his dial scale. "Close! Very weak
infra-red. But close. Around thirty thousand miles, maybe. It's Snap
Dean calling."

The _Planetara_ here within thirty thousand miles! Excitement and
pleasure swept the room. The _Planetara's_ coming had for so long been
awaited so eagerly!

The excitement communicated to Grantline. It was