ed the sound
waves, faint grumblings came to them, and at a quiver of light in the
blackness where the clouds had been, Harkness turned to Chet.

"We had all better get on the job," Chet was saying, as he took his bow
and a supply of arrows, "we've got our work cut out for us to-night."

And Harkness nodded grimly as the flickering lightning played fitfully
over far-distant trees. "We crowed a bit too soon," he told Chet;
"there's a big storm coming, and that's a break for Schwartzmann. No
light from either moon or Earth to-night."

The moon-disk, as he spoke, lost its first clear brilliance in the haze
of the expanding clouds.

"Watch sharp, Towahg!" Chet ordered. And, to the others: "Get this fire
moved away from the huts--here. I'll do that, Walt. You bring a supply
of wood; some of those dried leaves, too. We'll build a big fire, we
have to depend on that for light."

* * * * *

With the skeleton of a huge palm leaf he raked the fire out into an open
space; they had plenty of fuel and they fed the blaze until its mounting
flames lighted the entire enclosure. But outside the barricade were dark
shadows, and Chet saw that this light would only make targets of the
defenders, while the attackers could creep up in safety.

"'Way up," he ordered; "we've got to have the fire on the top of the
rocks." He clambered to the topmost level of the rocky outcrop and
dragged a blazing stick with him. Harkness handed him more; and now the
light struck down and over the stockade and illumined the ground
outside.

"Here's your job, Kreiss," said Chet, "if you're equal to it. You keep
that fire going and have a pile of dried husks handy if I call for a
bright blaze.

"We've got to defend the whole works," he explained. "That bunch today
tried to jump us just from one side, but trust Schwartzmann to divide
his force and hit us from all sides next time.

"But we'll hold the fort," he said and he forced a confidence into his
voice that his inner thoughts did not warrant. To Harkness he whispered
when Diane was away: "Six shells in the gun, Walt; we won't waste them
on the apes. There's one for each of us including Towahg, and one extra
in case you miss. We'll fight as long as we are able; then it's up to
you to shoot quick and straight."

But Walt Harkness felt for the pistol in his belt and handed it to Chet.
"I couldn't," he said, and his voice was harsh and strained, "--not
Diane; you'll hav