over to Ban.

Squarely behind the _Sandra_, and within twenty-five miles, the
peanut-shaped body had come. It was an ominous and silent approach.
The _Sandra_ remained pinned by the purple ray for minutes while the
Hawk studied her aggressor. As he watched the asteroid, the others
watched him; Ban Wilson fidgety, Friday clenching and unclenching his
big hands. Eliot Leithgow with whitened face and shoulders that seemed
to have bowed a little.

The forward speed of the _Sandra_ decreased to four hundred miles an
hour, and still the Hawk studied the massive body behind....

A sputter sounded in the radio receiver. Carse turned away from the
electelscope and listened to the heavy Venusian voice that was
suddenly speaking to him from it.

"Carse, I've got you! You've seen our ray, of course, but have you
looked at your speed-indicator? You're caught--and this time you're
going to stay caught. You cannot possibly resist the magnetic ray I
have on you, and in a few minutes you will be drawn right into me. I
advise you to surrender peacefully. No tricks--though there's no trick
that could do you any good! Nothing! I have you this time!"

A frosty smile tightened the Hawk's lips.

"I was right, Eliot," he murmured. "The man behind the panel took the
asteroid to Lar Tantril. He is our opponent."

* * * * *

Those were his words, but he did nothing. He seemed content to stand
with cold, intent face looking back through the infra-red
electelscope. The _Sandra's_ speed sank to three hundred, two hundred
and soon a hundred, and the asteroid, which was of course also
decelerating, crept up remorselessly. Ban Wilson had every confidence
in the Hawk, but finally the inaction grew too much for him to bear.

"Jumping Jupiter, Carse!" he sputtered. "--aren't you going to do
anything? Use our rays! Try maneuvering to the side! Damn it, we're
just letting them take us!"

The adventurer might not have heard, for all the sign he gave. The
Earth-clock on the wall ticked on; seconds built minutes, and the
minutes passed. The asteroid was only ten miles astern.

"Eliot," said Carse quietly, "get me one of your infra-red glasses."

He took over the controls again. Carefully he varied the forward
repulsion and sent current to the side gravity-plates, and slowly the
_Sandra_ answered by rotating, longitudinally, reversing her position.
Still maintaining a slight and dwindling speed toward Earth, her bow