Guerre_, ace. Thanks a
lot."

"Say, Dick," called Dorothy, from her seat near the wall. "If we're
going down to the ground, how about Sitar?"

"By lying down and not doing anything, and by staying in the vessel,
where it is warm, she will be all right for the short time we must stay
here," Dunark answered for his wife. "I will help all I can, but I do
not know how much that will be."

"It isn't so bad lying down." Sitar agreed. "I don't like your Earth a
bit, but I can stand it a little while. Anyway, I _must_ stand it, so
why worry about it?"

"'At-a-girl!" cheered Seaton. "And as for you, Dunark, you'll pass the
time just like Sitar does--lying down. If you do much chasing around
down there where we live, you're apt to get your lights and liver
twisted all out of shape--so you'll stay put, horizontal. We've got men
enough around the shop to eat this cargo in three hours, let alone
unload it. While they unload and load you up, we'll install the zone
apparatus, put a compass on you, put one of yours on us, and then you
can hop back up here where you're comfortable. Then as soon as we can
get the 'Lark' ready for the trip, we'll jump up here and be on our way.
Everything clear? Cut the rope, Mart--let the old bucket drop!"

CHAPTER III

Skylark Two Sets Out

"Say, Mart, I just got conscious! It never occurred to me until just
now, as Dunark left, that I'm as good an instrument-maker as Dunark
is--the same one, in fact--and I've got a hunch. You know that needle on
DuQuesne hasn't been working for quite a while? Well, I don't believe
it's out of commission at all. I think he's gone somewhere, so far away
that it can't read on him. I'm going to house it in, re-jewel it, and
find out where he is."

"An excellent idea. He has even you worrying, and as for myself----"

"Worrying! That bird is simply pulling my cork! I'm so scared he'll get
Dottie, that I'm running around in circles and biting myself in the
small of the back. He's got a hen on, you can bet your shirt on
that--what gravels me is he's aiming at the girls, not at us or the
job."

"I should say that someone had aimed at you fairly accurately, judging
by the number of bullets stopped lately by that arenak armor of yours. I
wish that I could take some of the strain, but they are centering all
their attacks upon you."

"Yes--I can't stick my nose outside our yard without somebody throwing
lead at it. It's funny, too. You're more important to th