the pressure lock. The Martian flung himself after her.

I fired at him, but missed. I came with a rush. And as I reached the
porte it slid closed in my face, barring me!

CHAPTER XXXVII

_In the Pressure Lock._

With puny fists I pounded the panel. A small pane in it was
transparent. Within the lock I could see the blurred figures of Anita
and her captor--and, it seemed, another figure. The lock was some ten
feet square, with a low ceiling. It glowed with a dim tube-light.

I pounded, thumped with futile, silent blows. The mechanism was here
to open this manual; but it was now clasped from within and would not
operate.

A few seconds only, while I stood there in a panic of confusion,
raging to get in. This disaster had come so suddenly! I did not plan;
I had no thought save to batter my way in and rescue Anita. I recall
that I beat on the glassite pane with my bullet projector until the
weapon was bent and useless; and I flung it with a wild, despairing
rage at my feet.

They were letting the ship's air-pressure into this lock. Soon they
would open the inner panel, step into the secondary chamber--and in a
moment more would be within the ship's hull corridor. Anita, lost to
me!

The outer panel suddenly opened! I had lunged against it with my
shoulder; the giant figure inside slid it. I was taken by surprise! I
half-fell inward.

Huge arms went around me. The goggled face of the helmet peered into
mine.

"So it is you, Haljan! I thought I recognized that little device over
your helmet-bracket. And there is my little Anita, come back to me
again!"

Miko!

* * * * *

This was he. His great bloated arms encircling me, bending me
backward, holding me almost helpless. I saw over his shoulder that
Anita was clutched in the grip of another helmeted figure. No giant,
but tall for an Earthman--almost as tall as myself. Then the
tube-light in the room illumined the visor. I saw the face, recognized
it. Moa!

I gasped, "So--I've--got you, Miko--"

"Got me! You're a fool to the last, Gregg Haljan! A fool to the last!
But you were always a fool."

I could scarcely move in his grip. My arms were pinned. As he slowly
bent me backward, I wound my legs around one of his; it was as
unyielding as a steel pillar. He had closed the outer panel; the
air-pressure in the lock was rising. I could feel it against my suit.

My helmeted head was being forced backward; Miko's left arm held