brightly. "I'll be back for you all
in an hour or so."

At this, David Guinness struggled frantically with his bonds and
yelled:

"Don't believe him, Phil! He's going to leave us here, to starve and
die! He told us so just before you came down!"

* * * * *

Quade's face twitched perceptibly. His eyes were nervous.

"Is that true, Quade?" Holmes asked. There was a steely note in his
voice.

"Why--no, of course not," the other said hastily, uncertain whether to
lie or not. "Of course I didn't!"

Phil Holmes looked square into his eyes. He bluffed.

"You couldn't desert us, Quade. You haven't the guts. You haven't the
guts."

His face and eyes burned with the contempt that was in his words. It
cut Quade to the raw. But he could not avoid Phil's eyes. He stared at
them for a full moment, trembling slightly. Slowly, by inches, he
started to back toward the sphere; then suddenly he ran for it with
all his might, Holmes after him. Quade got to it first, and inside, as
he yanked in the searchlight and slammed and locked the door, he
yelled:

"You'll see, you damned pup! You'll see!" And there was the smothered
sound of half-maniacal laughter....

Phil threw all his weight against the metal door, but it was hopeless
and he knew it. He had gathered himself for another rush when he heard
Guinness yell:

"Back, Phil--back! He'll turn on the side disintegrators!"

Mad with rage as the young man was, he at once saw the danger and
leaped away--only to almost fall over the professor's prone body. With
hurrying, trembling fingers he untied the pair's bonds, and they
struggled to their feet, cramped and stiff. Then it was Phil who
warned them.

"Back as far as you can! Hurry!" He grabbed Sue's hand and plunged
toward the uncertain protection of a huge rock far in the rear. At
once he made them lie flat on the ground.

* * * * *

As yet the sphere had not stirred nor emitted a whisper of sound,
though they knew the man inside was conning the controls in a fever of
haste to leave the cavern. But they hadn't long to wait. There came a
sputter, a starting cough from the rocket tubes beneath the sphere.
Quickly they warmed into life, and the dully glimmering ball rocked in
the hole it lay in. Then a cataract of noise unleashed itself; a
devastating thunder roared through the echoing cavern as the rockets
burst into full force. A wave of brilliant orange-red