turgid black curtain closed over them, I saw two brigands
come rushing. Their hand projectors stabbed at close range. Our men
crumpled and fell.

And now I saw why probably we had never yet hit the ship.

Its outline was revealed. "Now, Gregg--can you fling it from here?"

We were in position again. I flung my last missile, watched its light
as it dropped. On the dome-roof two of Miko's men were crouching. My
bomb was truly aimed--perhaps one of the few in all our bombardment
which would have landed directly on the dome-roof. But the waiting
marksmen fired at it with short-range heat projectors and exploded it
harmlessly while it was still above them.

We swung up and away. I saw, high above us, Grantline's platform,
recognizing its red signal light. There seemed a lull. The enemy fire
had died down to only a very occasional bolt. In the confusion of my
whirling impressions I wondered if Miko were in distress? Not that! We
had not hit his ship; perhaps we had done little damage indeed! It was
we who were in distress. Two of our platforms had fallen--two out of
six. Or more, of which I did not know.

* * * * *

I saw one rising off to the side of us. Grantline was over us. Well,
we were at least three. And then I saw the fourth.

"Grantline is calling us up, Gregg."

"Yes."

Grantline's signal-light was summoning us from the attack. He was a
thousand or two thousand feet above.

I was suddenly shocked with horror. The search-ray from our camp
abruptly vanished! Anita wheeled us to face the distant ledge. The
camp-lights showed, and over one of the buildings was a distress
light!

Had the crack in our front wall broken, threatening explosion of all
the buildings? The wild thoughts swept me. But it was not that. I
could see light-stabs from the cliff outside the main building. Miko
had dared to send some of his men to attack our almost abandoned camp!

Grantline realized it. His red helmet-light semaphored the command to
follow him. His platform soared away, heading for the camp, with the
other two behind him.

Anita lifted us to follow. But I checked her.

"No! Off to the right, across the valley."

"But Gregg!"

"Do as I say, Anita."

She swung us diagonally away from both the camp and the brigand ship.
I prayed that we might not be noticed by the brigands.

"Anita, listen: I've an idea!"

The attack on the brigand ship was over. It lay enveloped in the
darkness o