cracked. To destroy them
took a good blow that knocked out a piece.

"All right. Let's travel. Koa, go right. I'll go the other way and we'll
work around the asteroid until we meet."

Rip led the way, gliding as rapidly as he could toward the edge of
darkness. He called, "Santos. Any coming in the direction of the cave?"

"Two pair. About fifty yards apart. They will be out of my sight in a few
seconds."

Which meant they would be within sight of Rip and the others. He knew Koa
had heard the message, too. Both groups put on more speed, and reached the
safety of darkness. "Get down," Rip ordered. They could still be seen, if
silhouetted against the edges of sunlight.

Starlight gave a little light, but it was too faint to see much. Rip's
plan was that the Connies would supply the light needed for an attack.

In a few seconds, as Santos had predicted, belt light beams cut sharp
paths through the darkness. Rip sized up the possibilities. There were two
teams of two men each, and they were getting farther apart with each step.
One team was coming almost directly toward them. The other team was
slanting away from them and would soon be out of sight behind the thorium
crystals in which the cave was located. Fortunately, the Connies were
going away from the cave.

A Connie from the near-by team swung his beam back and forth, and it cut
space over their heads. Rip saw a few low pyramids of thorium a few rods
away. He directed swiftly, "Dowst, take my boots. Dominico, take Dowst's
boots."

He lay face down on the metal ground until he felt hands grip his boots,
then he asked, "All set?" Two voices answered. "Ready."

Rip put his gloves on the ground and pulled himself forward and slightly
upward. Since there was very little gravity, the action both lifted and
pulled him. He slid parallel to the surface and a foot above it, heading
for the crystals. Once or twice he reached down and gave another push. It
was like swimming, except that only the tips of his gloves touched the
ground, and there was no resistance of any kind. He felt Dowst's grip on
his boots, but he couldn't feel the weight of his men.

He reached the first crystal and directed, "Get behind these rocks and
stay down. Feel your way. Use me for a guide. I'll hold on until you're
under cover." He gripped a crystal. "Come on."

Dominico pulled himself along Dowst's prone form, and then along Rip's.
When Dominico had reached the shelter of the crystals, Dowst