instruments showed him how serious that damage was to
our front wall, we never knew. But I think that he realized. His
search-beam clung to it, and his red-ray pried into our interiors.

The brigand ship was active now. We were desperate: we used our
telescope freely for observation. And used our red-ray and
search-light. Miko's ore-carts and mining apparatus were unloaded on
the rocks. The rail-sections were being carried a mile out, nearly to
the center of the valley. A subsidiary camp was being established
there, only a mile from the base of our cliff, but still far beyond
reach of our weapons. We could see the brigand lights down there.

Then the ore-shute sections were brought over. We could see Miko's men
carrying some of the giant projectors, mounting them in the new
position. Power tanks and cables. Light-flare catapults--little
mechanical cannons for throwing the bombs.

The enemy search-light constantly raked our vicinity. Occasionally the
giant electronic projector flung up its bolt as though warning us not
to dare leave our buildings.

* * * * *

Half an hour went by. Our situation was even worse than Miko could
know. The Erentz motors were running hot--our power draining, the
crack widening. When it would break we could not tell; but the danger
was like a sword over us.

An anxious thirty minutes for us, this second interlude. Grantline
called a meeting of all our little force, with every man having his
say. Inactivity was no longer a feasible policy. We recklessly used
our power to search the sky. Our rescue ship might be up there; but we
could not see it with our disabled instruments. No signals came. We
could not--or, at least, did not--receive them.

"They wouldn't signal," Grantline protested. "They'd know the Martians
would be more likely to get the signal than us. Of what use to warn
Miko?"

But he did not dare wait for a rescue ship that might or might not be
coming! Miko was playing the waiting game now--making ready for a
quick loading of the ore when we were forced to abandon our buildings.

The brigand ship suddenly moved its position! It rose up in a low flat
arc, came forward and settled in the center of the valley where the
carts and rail-sections were piled, and the outside projectors newly
mounted on the rocks. But the projectors only shot at us occasionally.

The brigands now began laying the rails from the ship toward the base
of our cliff. The c