t any of the enemy would lurk here. We clambered over the pitted,
scarred surface; the higher crags, etched with Earthlight, stood like
sentinels in the gloom.

The brigand ship with its surrounding darkness was not far from us. No
one was out here. We passed the wreckage of broken projectors, and
gruesome, shattered human forms.

We prowled closer. The hull of the ship loomed ahead of us. All dark.

We came at last close against the sleek metal hull side, slid along it
to where I was sure the manual lock would be located.

Abruptly I realized that Anita was not behind me! Then I saw her at a
little distance, struggling in the grip of a giant helmeted figure!
The brigand lifted her--turned, and ran.

I did not dare fire. I bounded after them along the hull-side, around
under the curve of the pointed bow, down along the other side.

I had mistaken the hull port location. It was here. The running,
bounding figure reached it, slid the panel. I was only fifty feet
away--not much more than a single leap. I saw Anita being shoved into
the pressure lock. The Martian flung himself after her.

I fired at him in desperation, but missed. I came with a rush. And as
I reached the port, it slid closed in my face, barring me!

XXXVII

With puny fists I pounded the panel. A small pane in it was
transparent. Within the lock I could see the blurred figures of Anita
and her captor--and it seemed, another figure there. The lock was some
ten feet square, with a low ceiling. It glowed with a dim tube-light.

I strained at it with futile, silent effort. The mechanism was here to
open this manual; but it was now clasped from within so would not
operate.

A few seconds, while I stood there in a panic of confusion, raging to
get in. This disaster had come so suddenly. I did not plan: I had no
thought save to batter my way in and rescue Anita. I recall that I
finally beat on the glassite pane with my bullet projector until the
weapon was bent and useless. And I flung it with a wild despairing
rage at my feet.

They were letting the ship's air-pressure into this lock. Soon they
would open the inner panel, step into the secondary chamber--and in a
moment more would be within the ship's hull corridor. Anita, lost to
me!

The outer panel suddenly opened! I had lunged against it with my
shoulder; the giant figure inside slid it. It was taken by surprise! I
half fell forward.

Huge arms went around me. The goggled face of the